Comparing the art of restoration to the opportunity for the acquisition of knowledge, this consideration focuses on Giotto's Santa Maria Novella Crucifix, stressing that every new piece of information has the potential to rewrite whole chapters of art history. The painstaking 12-year restoration of one of the Christian world's most important art works is documented in detail, and a fresh interpretation of what was known about the artist--particularly his color sensibility and painting style--is also featured.