Frescoes of the life of Saint Francis

After the Fourth Crusade, from 1204 until 1261, the Latins occupied Constantinople. Over this half-century, several Byzantine churches were adapted for the Catholics. One such church was that of the Virgin Kyriotissa. This church, known by its Turkish name as Kalenderhane Camii, was built in the late twelfth century and is still standing in its original form. The Latins made no significant architectural changes but left traces of their presence in the mural decorations, which constitute a rare example of painted decorations of this era preserved in Constantinople. Around 1250, a small chapel south of the principle apse was ornamented with mural paintings about the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.

The Saint Francis cycle runs around the half-dome of the apsidiole of the chapel. Saint Francis stands, holding a codex, occupying a central position on the vault, and five scenes of his life are arranged around three registers on either side of his portrait. Identifying them is problematic because they have been badly conserved. In addition to Saint Francis preaching to the birds - probably the best preserved and most typical of this cycle - they probably depict various scenes of healing and miracles. The others conform more closely to the Byzantine tradition: the bust of the Virgin and Child with two angels occupies a lunette above the cycle of Saint Francis; two standing fathers of the Church are painted on the triumphal arch. The men are of uncertain identity: one might perhaps be John Chrysostom. The stylistic analogies with the Bible de l'Arsenal[1] lead us to believe that the paintings were the work of a travelling Western artist influenced by Byzantine designs.

It is surprising that the oldest known cycle of Saint Francis in mural painting is found not in Assisi, nor elsewhere in Western Europe, but in Constantinople. It is striking proof of the activity of the order in Byzantium shortly after its foundation in 1228. The Franciscans came into contact with Byzantine art when they travelled through the East. Taking their inspiration from Byzantine icons representing saints, they developed altar painting, which was an effective way of promoting the beliefs of their founder. Thus Saint Francis is linked to the venerable saints of the late classical period and of Byzantium.

In 1254, the Franciscan order decided to include the Orthodox saints in their calendar, and this is why the Fathers of the Church, seen as models of ascetics, are present in the iconography of the Church of the Virgin Kyriotissa. The arrangement of the scenes appears to draw its inspiration from Italian altars, where, it should be mentioned, the oldest representations of the life of Saint Francis are to be found. Like the altar of the treasury of the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the surface of an Italian altar is divided into three sections, with the median section entirely devoted to the representation of the saint. Scenes from his life are arranged in superposed registers in the lateral sections.

This cycle of Saint Francis testifies that over the thirteenth century the relationship between Latins and Byzantines brought art their art closer together, and involved fruitful artistic exchange. The artistry of the Chapel of the Virgin Kyriotissa may reflect an attempt to assimilate the Orthodox tradition with that of the Catholic Church.