Artwork
Copy after St Stephen preaching and St Stephen before the Council, Fra Angelico in the Niccoline Chapel (Vatican, Rome)
Copy after St Stephen preaching and St Stephen before the Council, Fra Angelico in the Niccoline Chapel (Vatican, Rome) is a watercolor work on paper by the Early Renaissance artist Fra Angelico. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This watercolor shows two scenes of Saint Stephen at once. On the left, he preaches to a crowd. On the right, he stands before a council, calm but accused.
Eduard Kaiser copied Fra Angelico’s 1400s frescoes in 1878. The Arundel Society later spread these images, helping people see early Italian art.
If you like this, look up Fra Angelico next.
Overview
This watercolour, created by Eduard Kaiser in 1878, is a copy of two scenes from Fra Angelico's frescoes in the Niccoline Chapel, Vatican, depicting moments from the life of St Stephen.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays two concurrent scenes of St Stephen: preaching to a crowd (left) and standing calmly before an accusatory council (right), highlighting pivotal moments in the martyr's narrative.
Technique & Style
Kaiser's watercolour technique aims to replicate the expressive qualities of Fra Angelico's original frescoes, which marked a development in the artist's style from his earlier, more restrained works at the Convento di San Marco.
History & Provenance
Commissioned by the Arundel Society (founded 1848), this copy was part of a broader effort to disseminate Renaissance art, particularly 'primitives', to a wider audience in the late 19th century.
Context
Fra Angelico's originals (1447-1451) were painted for Pope Nicholas V's private chapel, reflecting the Pope's patronage of religious art and the artist's adaptation of his style for Vatican commissions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Fra Giovanni da Fiesole (born Guido di Pietro; c. 1395 – 18 February 1455), known posthumously as Fra Angelico ( FRAH an-JEL-ik-oh, Italian: ), was an Italian Dominican friar and painter active during the early…
Watercolour, copy after The Ordination of St Stephen and St Stephen Distributing Alms, Fra Angelico in the Niccoline Chapel (Vatican, Rome)
Copy after St Lawrence receiving the treasure of the Church and St Lawrence distributing Alms, Fra Angelico in the Niccoline Chapel (Vatican, Rome)
Copy after the cycle of the <i>Life of St Francis</i> (<i>Birth of St Francis</i>), Benozzo Gozzoli in San Francesco, Montefalco
Copy after the Annunciation, Fra Angelico in the Museo di San Marco (Florence)
Copy after the fresco of the mock polyptych <i>Virgin and Child with Saints</i>, Benozzo Gozzoli in San Francesco, San Girolamo chapel, Montefalco
Copy after St Lawrence befor the Emperor and Martyrdom of St Lawrence, Fra Angelico in the Niccoline Chapel (Vatican, Rome)