The Fresco Cycle of the Holy Virgin in the Franciscan Church of Keszthely

The Franciscan church of Keszthely in Western Hungary preserves a fresco circle from the end of the 14^th century. In the much damaged uppermost row the life of the Holy Virgin was represented. This paper intends to clarify the iconography of the single scenes with the help of analogues. The composition of the Birth of the Virgin and the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple are very close to the paintings of the Sienese masters. The prototype of them is probably the lost Lorenzetti cycle on the façade of the Spedale di Santa Maria in Siena, however, the cycle at Keszthely seems to be more elaborated. That is the significance of the frescos in this Hungarian town: it is the only known follower of this Sienese Lorenzetti tradition outside of Italy, but should be registered among the longest Mariological cycles in trecento fresco painting.