A Room with a View

第二章

Chapter II is set in the church of Santa Croce in Florence, where a lecture on Giotto’s frescoes is repeatedly disrupted by the outspoken Mr. Emerson and his son George. The episode draws Lucy Honeychurch into uncomfortable closeness with the Emersons, culminating in an extraordinary appeal from the old man and the sudden reunion with her cousin Charlotte Bartlett.

Giotto Fresco Lecture at Santa Croce

A earnest congregation listens to a lecturer who directs them to appreciate Giotto’s frescoes not through technical criticism but through spiritual feeling, emphasizing the church’s medieval faith and the artist’s freedom from anatomical concerns. The lecture is delivered to a congregation clutching both prayer-books and guide-books, indicating a clerical-led tour group.

Mr. Emerson Objects to the Lecture

Mr. Emerson loudly objects to the lecturer’s romantic claims, dismissing the idea that the church was built by faith as merely a sign that workmen were unpaid, and ridiculing the Ascension of St. John fresco by pointing to the implausibly floating fat saint. The lecturer falters, and the audience shifts uneasily, with Lucy feeling spellbound yet guilty about her association with the Emersons.

Lecturer’s Group Departs the Chapel

A frigid voice announces that the chapel is too small for two parties, and the lecturer’s flock—including the two little old Miss Alans of the Pension Bertolini—files out in silence despite Mr. Emerson’s protests. The procession departs without a word, and the lecturer is soon heard next door lecturing on St. Francis.