Free Copy of Giotto's "Navicella" (recto); Copy of Adam in Masaccio's Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and other Figure Studies (verso) 1415 - 1425

Parri Spinelli created this drawing, "Free Copy of Giotto's 'Navicella'", using pen and brown ink on paper. The composition, dominated by linear forms and the contrast between the detailed foreground and suggestive background, evokes a sense of depth and spiritual narrative. Spinelli meticulously replicates Giotto's famed mosaic, focusing on line to define form and space. The use of hatching and cross-hatching creates tonal variations, adding volume to the figures and depth to the scene. This echoes the formal concerns of the Renaissance, where artists like Spinelli aimed to capture and understand the works of their predecessors through close study and replication. The drawing serves as a semiotic translation of Giotto’s original. The lines, the carefully rendered figures, and the architectural elements collectively function as signs that point to the original’s religious narrative and artistic achievement. This act of replication and study underscores the Renaissance humanist project: reviving classical and early Christian themes through careful formal analysis. The act suggests an ongoing dialogue between artists across generations.