The Frescoes of Fra Angelico in the Chapel of Pope Nicholas V: Visual Persuasion in the Program of Nicholas' Pontificate

Abstract

Nicholas' words, recorded, document his penchant for proclaiming the eminence of Rome and the primacy of the papacy through visual persuasion. His unprecedented declaration of religious authority on such a grand scale through the humanistic resources of the arts distinguishes his pontificate and all of the projects executed during his reign, even those seemingly small, from those that came before it. His own private chapel, decorated with frescoes by artist Fra Angelico and located in the recesses of the Vatican palace, assumes its preeminent status within the realm of Nicholas' grand plan. The Chapel of Nicholas V exhibits two narrative hagiographic cycles: one, the life and martyrdom of St. Stephen and the other, the life and martyrdom of St. Lawrence. The arrangement, treatment, and specificity of the scenes chosen distinctly reflect specific papal rhetoric and ideas that correlate with the conception of the papacy that Nicholas hoped to convey to his viewers. The frescoes subtly highlight the ideals of primacy and charity, and convey the inseparability of these ideals from the Roman Church as an institution. Thus, the cycle effectively conveys a noble perception of the pontificate of Nicholas V. [From Introduction]