For in all his use of opalescent and warm colour, Giotto is exactly like Turner, as, in his swift expressional power, he is like Gainsborough.  All the other Italian religious painters work out their expression with toil; he only can give it with a touch.  All the other great Italian colourists see only the beauty of colour, but Giotto also its brightness.  And none of the others, except Tintoret, understood to the full its symbolic power; but with those—­Giotto and Tintoret—­there is always, not only a colour harmony, but a colour secret.  It is not merely to make the picture glow, but to remind you that St. Francis preaches to a fire-worshipping king, that Giotto covers the wall with purple and scarlet;—­and above, in the dispute at Assisi, the angry father is dressed in red, varying like passion; and the robe with which his protector embraces St. Francis, blue, symbolizing the peace of Heaven.  Of course certain conventional colours were traditionally employed by all painters; but only Giotto and Tintoret invent a symbolism of their own for every picture.  Thus in Tintoret’s picture of the fall of the manna, the figure of God the Father is entirely robed in white, contrary to all received custom; in that of Moses striking the rock, it is surrounded by a rainbow.  Of Giotto’s symbolism in colour at Assisi I have given account elsewhere.[22]

You are not to think, therefore, the difference between the colour of the upper and lower frescos unintentional.  The life of St. Francis was always full of joy and triumph.  His death, in great suffering, weariness, and extreme humility.  The tradition of him reverses that of Elijah:  living, he is seen in the chariot of fire; dying, he submits to more than the common sorrow of death.

There is, however, much more than a difference in colour between the upper and lower frescos.  There is a difference in manner which I cannot account for; and above all, a very singular difference in skill,—­indicating, it seems to me, that the two lower were done long before the others, and afterwards united and harmonized with them.  It is of no interest to the general reader to pursue this question; but one point he can notice quickly, that the lower frescos depend much on a mere black or brown outline of the features, while the faces above are evenly and completely painted in the most accomplished Venetian manner:—­and another, respecting the management of the draperies, contains much interest for us.

Giotto never succeeded, to the very end of his days, in representing a figure lying down, and at ease.  It is one of the most curious points in all his character.  Just the thing which he could study from nature without the smallest hindrance, is the thing he never can paint; while subtleties of form and gesture, which depend absolutely on their momentariness, and actions in which no model can stay for an instant he seizes with infallible accuracy.