ROME (Reuters) - Art restorers have discovered the figure of a devil hidden in the clouds of one of the most famous frescos by Giotto in the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, church officials said on Saturday.
The devil was hidden in the details of clouds at the top of fresco
number 20 in the cycle of the scenes in the life and death of St Francis
painted by Giotto in the 13th century.Wide View of Giotto's Painting |
The discovery was made by Italian art historian Chiara Frugone.
It shows a profile of a figure with a hooked nose, a sly smile, and
dark horns hidden among the clouds in the panel of the scene depicting
the death of St Francis.
The figure is difficult to see from the floor of the basilica but emerges clearly in close-up photography.
Sergio Fusetti, the chief restorer
of the basilica, said Giotto probably never wanted the image of the
devil to be a main part of the fresco and may have painted it in among
the clouds "to have a bit of fun."
The master may have painted it to
spite someone he knew by portraying him as a devil in the painting,
Fusetti said on the convent's website.
The artwork in the basilica in the
convent where St Francis is buried was last restored after it was
severely damaged by an earthquake in 1997.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Sophie Hares)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/
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