The Enigmatic Master of the Isaac Stories The name “Master of the Isaac Stories” evokes a sense of mystery, a deliberate anonymity shrouding an artist whose vibrant frescoes once adorned the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. Active during the 1290s—a pivotal decade bridging the late medieval and proto-Renaissance periods—this painter remains largely unknown beyond the compelling power of his surviving works. Unlike many contemporaries, no documented name or biographical details have surfaced; instead, scholars bestowed this title based on a series of Old Testament scenes featuring Isaac b…