The artwork titled “Envy,” created by the artist Giotto in 1306, is a fresco measuring 120 x 55 cm and belongs to the Proto Renaissance art movement. It is an allegorical painting, part of “The Seven Vices” series, and is located in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel in Padua, Italy.
In the artwork, “Envy” is personified as a ghastly figure enveloped in flames, symbolizing the consuming nature of envy. The figure is depicted with an exaggeratedly long, serpentine tongue that wraps around its own neck, insinuating that envy is self-destructive. The figure clutches a sack close to its body, representing greed and covetousness. The overall composition uses stark contrasts, with the somber tones of the figure set against a dark background, emphasizing the vice’s sinister nature. The placement in an architectural niche gives it a sense of confinement and isolation, underscoring the pernicious and isolating effects of envy.
