Artwork

Copy after the painting Abraham Sacrificing Isaac attributed to Jacobo Torriti in the Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi.

Copy after the painting Abraham Sacrificing Isaac attributed to Jacobo Torriti in the Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi. is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Edward Kaiser. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

It formed part of an Arundel Society project to disseminate medieval and early Renaissance religious imagery, although the series was never issued publicly.

This watercolor, executed in 1876 by Eduard Kaiser, reproduces the composition traditionally linked to Jacopo Torriti that depicts Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac. The copy measures the original scene on a modest paper support, bearing the artist’s signature and date in ink. It formed part of an Arundel Society project to disseminate medieval and early Renaissance religious imagery, although the series was never issued publicly.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure, a robed patriarch with a halo, stands on a craggy ledge, staff in one hand and his other arm raised as if directing divine will. Beneath him lies a bound Isaac, calm despite his predicament, while a ram stands nearby, ready to replace the intended offering. A distant village and billowing clouds complete the landscape, underscoring the biblical tension between obedience and mercy.

Technique & Style

Kaiser employed loose, fluid brushwork characteristic of 19th‑century watercolor practice, allowing pigments to merge into soft gradients of gold, green and muted blue. The luminous halo and the bright golden robe contrast with the atmospheric background, creating a sense of light that seems to emanate from the figures themselves. The overall effect is a dreamy, lightly rendered tableau rather than a strict copy of the original fresco.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by the Arundel Society, an organization dedicated to reproducing historic artworks for scholarly use, the watercolor was never included in the Society’s planned publication series. Its provenance remains within the archives of the Upper Church of San Francesco in Assisi, where the original Torriti composition resides, and it has been retained as a reference copy for study.

Context

Eduard Kaiser, a German painter active in the latter half of the 19th century, frequently engaged with religious subjects, translating medieval narratives into a visual language informed by contemporary watercolor techniques. This work exemplifies his broader effort to bridge historic iconography with the aesthetic sensibilities of his own era, aligning with the Arundel Society’s mission to make such images accessible to a modern audience.