Pentecost
Giotto·1310
Historical Context
Pentecost from around 1310 at the National Gallery depicts the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. Giotto's treatment combines the supernatural event with the human reactions of the assembled apostles, grounding the miraculous in recognizable emotional response Giotto di Bondone fundamentally transformed Western painting by introducing a new sense of three-dimensional figures, emotional expression, and narrative coherence that would underpin European art for centuries.
Technical Analysis
The gathered apostles are rendered with individualized expressions of wonder and devotion, the architectural setting providing the spatial framework characteristic of Giotto's narrative approach.
