St. Francis Preaching a Sermon to Pope Honorius III 1299

Giotto painted this fresco of St. Francis preaching to Pope Honorius III around 1300, here in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. The fresco technique involves applying pigments to wet plaster. This demanded speed and skill, requiring a team of artisans to prepare the walls, mix pigments from minerals and organic matter, and transfer Giotto's vision onto the surface. The wall itself is critical. It is a rough, absorbent ground, and the colors become part of the architecture. The blue, for example, probably came from lapis lazuli, a precious stone imported from Afghanistan, and it would have been ground by hand. The materiality of fresco aligns with the values of St. Francis, who preached simplicity and humility. Yet the intense labor and valuable materials also suggest the wealth and power of the Church. Considering the pigments and the labor helps us understand its cultural significance and connects the material and social history. It transcends the typical categorization of "fine art" and becomes an object of complex historical interest.