A Comparison of Two Nativities
When comparing the nativity scenes depicted by Giotto and Pisano, one cannot help but notice the striking differences between the two artists’ renderings. Not only have they used different mediums-Giotto painted a fresco, Pisano sculpted a bas relief-but their use of space is glaringly different. Spaced out over a wide area, Giotto’s painting shows two scenes: the annunciation to the shepherds and the nativity. Pisano however crams four scenes (the nativity, along with the annunciations to Mary and the shepherds, and a scene of Mary bathing the infant Jesus) into a very limited space. Whereas Mary dominates the central space in Pisano’s sculpture, and the infant Jesus is relegated to an unimportant position behind her, the mother and child in Giotto’s painting seem to equally hold positions of importance as they gaze lovingly at each other from the left side of the picture. Regardless of the differences depicte...