Copy after Christ and Mary Magdalene in the Garden, Fra Angelico in the Museo di San Marco (Florence)

Kaiser employed watercolour to emulate the softness and luminosity of Fra Angelico’s frescoes, using delicate washes to suggest light on fabric and space. The composition remains restrained, with no decorative elements to distract from the figures. The technique aligns with 19th-century reproductive practices, prioritizing fidelity to the source over expressive innovation.

Commissioned by the Arundel Society, founded in 1848, the watercolour was part of a broader initiative to document and distribute images of medieval and Renaissance art. Kaiser, an Austrian artist known for his copies of Italian frescoes, produced this work in the 1860s. It was later reproduced as a chromolithograph in 1870, catalogued as Museum No. 24146, ensuring wider circulation among scholars and collectors.

The Convento di San Marco, completed in 1436 and designed by Michelozzo, housed a series of frescoes by Fra Angelico in the 1440s, intended for monastic meditation. These works, including the original scene of Christ and Mary Magdalene, were notable for their serene clarity and devotional focus. In the 19th century, renewed scholarly interest in early Italian art led institutions like the Arundel Society to reproduce such works for educational purposes.

Kaiser’s watercolour contributed to the 19th-century revival of interest in Fra Angelico’s art, helping to shape modern perceptions of early Renaissance painting. Though a reproduction, it played a role in preserving visual access to the San Marco frescoes before widespread photography. Its publication as a chromolithograph ensured its presence in academic and private collections across Europe.