Giotto, Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel, 1306. Fresco, Padua, Italy.
The Scrovegni Chapel (also known as the Arena Chapel), is a church in Padua, Veneto, Italy. This is one section of the Life of the Virgin fresco cycle, commonly called The Visitation. The newly-pregnant Mary and her two companions visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant. The two women embrace in front of the portico. Giotto focuses the encounter on the exchange of glances between the two women.
The figure on the right in the blue robe is an example of the damage that has plagued the blue sections of these murals. To save money, and in hopes of preserving its brilliance, Enrico Scrovegni ordered that the expensive ultramarine blue pigment should be painted on top of the already dry fresco: secco fresco. The rest of the chapel frescos were done in true fresco or buon fresco.
