Artwork

Copy after the painting St Francis before Pope Honorius by the Master of the St Francis cycle in the Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi

Copy after the painting St Francis before Pope Honorius by the Master of the St Francis cycle in the Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Edward Kaiser. It dates from 1873 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

In 1873 Eduard Kaiser produced a water‑colour reproduction of the medieval fresco St Francis before Pope Honorius, originally painted by the anonymous Master of the St Francis cycle in the Upper Church of San Francesco, Assisi. The copy was commissioned by the Arundel Society, an organization dedicated to disseminating images of important architectural and artistic works.

Subject & Meaning

The scene depicts a solemn audience in a vaulted hall, where Pope Honorius, seated on an elevated throne and holding a book, receives the humble Franciscan saint. Clerics and attendants in varied blue and brown habits stand or kneel around the pontiff, emphasizing the hierarchical contrast between the papal authority and the modest friars.

Technique & Style

Kaiser employed a delicate water‑colour palette, rendering the luminous quality of the fresco’s interior. Soft, layered washes capture the sheen of the papal robes and the reflective surfaces of the stone walls, while precise brushwork delineates the intricate patterns of the floor tiles and the play of light across faces.

History & Provenance

The copy bears the inscription “EDUARD KAISER COP.” and entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains accessible to scholars and the public. Its creation reflects 19th‑century efforts to document and share medieval Italian art beyond its original setting.

Context

The original fresco forms part of a larger narrative cycle portraying the life of St Francis, a central theme in the Upper Church’s decorative program. By reproducing this specific episode, Kaiser highlighted the interaction between the saint and the papacy, a motif that underscored the growing influence of the Franciscan order in the 13th century.