1944. But only the arm from the elbow to the fingers can be
used to generate a circle, and only if it is anchored at the hip, as Vasari
notes. In short, Giotto used his body as an instrument to produce his circle.
In his years of working, gradually Giotto’s body becomes the tool. Not the hand,
not the arm, not the fingers, but the entire body is employed, even down to the
toes, when he drew his circle.
1945.
So someone, I do not know who, said, “One learns to draw
in ballet class,” meaning that to draw is to make marks on a paper
controlled
by the entire body, and not just the tips of the fingers. This is a
concept
hard to put into words, but is as true for the artist as it is for the
person
playing golf. If you will look again at pictures of Jackson Pollock as
he is painting, there you will see after four hundred years the return
of the O of Giotto.
1946. But we are not done at this point with this O of Giotto.
The importance of this anecdote is yet more complicated. The next remark we have to deal with concerns
the reactions of the Pope, Vasari says, “When the Pope and many of his
courtiers understood, they saw that Giotto must surpass greatly all the other
painters of his time.” What is it exactly the Pope and his courtiers
understood, as they looked at Giotto's circle?
1947. They understood
nothing at all. Vasari knows this for a fact, but he would never ever have
risked his life putting such an idea into print. No, what we have here is the very first instance in art
history of the artist’s utilizing intellectual intimidation to manipulate his
patrons. The Pope “understands”
the circle in the exact same way the curators and Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art,
“understand” Duchamp’s urinal.
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