Konstantin Kaiser

The name Konstantin is of Greek origin meaning constant or steadfast. It’s an appropriate title for this artist because fresco paintings are known for their longevity, retaining their vibrant color and durability far longer than other works of art.

Fresco painting is a style usually associated with the Renaissance, but a German artist named Peter von Cornelius brought it back in fashion in the 1800s. Konstantin Kaiser was born and raised in Germany during that revival and studied at the Munich Academy under some of the best masters, probably under Cornelius himself.

Unlike applying paint to a hard surface, the fresco technique applies watercolors on fresh, still-damp plaster, usually on a wall. The colors dry and set along with the plaster to become a permanent part of the wall, as opposed to simply a film of paint.

One source says Konstantin “soon became celebrated for his proficiency” and his work was regarded as “finished in the highest degree.” While still in his early 20s he frescoed part of the great cathedral in Speyer, just south of Mannheim and Heidelberg. One of the numerous frescoes is shown here although he was not credited for any specific piece.

A woman named Conradina Myer, whom he called “Dinah,” was the object of his affection around 1848. She sailed to America first, and Konstantin followed in March of 1849. Their wedding was in June at Philadelphia’s St. Michaels and Zion Lutheran Church, then located at 5th and Arch Streets, (It was founded by Germans a century earlier and is still meeting today, known as Old Zion Lutheran Church at 628 North Broad Street.)

Their son, Otto, was born in 1851. Daughter Caroline arrived five years later, but whether she lived to adulthood is uncertain since she isn’t mentioned in her father’s will. The Kaisers made their home at 5th and Powell (now Delancey) Streets. City directories listed Konstantin’s occupation as either a decorative artist or ornamental painter.

One of his first efforts was decorating the walls of the Academy of Music for its opening in 1857. Located at the corner of South Broad and Locust Streets, it is America’s oldest opera house in continuous use.

After that, Konstantin created frescoes for the Continental Hotel under construction in the 800 block of Chestnut Street. The six-story, 700-room hotel had only recently opened when it welcomed its most famous guest, President-elect Abraham Lincoln. He would have seen the artwork when he stayed there February 21, 1861 and gave a speech from the balcony just days before his inauguration on March 4. The artist’s work was viewed in later years when famous guests like Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Charles Dickens, and foreign heads of state stayed at the Continental. 

Fresco painters don’t typically receive many requests from homeowners, not necessarily because of the expense but due to changing tastes. This clipping shows what a prominent investment broker hired Konstantin to do for him after the Civil War. Henry Cooke and his brother, Jay became wealthy financiers by selling war bonds on behalf of the government.

An obituary says Konstantin did work in other cities as his reputation became well-known. By 1868 his son became his apprentice and the business was listed as “K. Kaiser & Co.” Otto found steady work by also selling wall coverings and becoming a paper hanger.

His father’s last project was at First Baptist Church of West Philadelphia at 36th and Chestnut Street. The church didn’t meet for a few weeks in the summer of 1874 while remodeling was underway. Konstantin frescoed what appear to be stone tablets over each window with scripture verses inscribed in old English style. The ceiling was given a light blue color, and a newspaper article in August spoke glowingly of its beauty. While the improvements were taking place, the pastor was on an extended trip but planned to return in time to celebrate the renovation in mid-September. 

Whatever happiness the church felt that month was muted by the sudden loss of the great fresco artist who labored long to finish his work. Painful lesions and blisters appeared on his skin as he completed the paintings. The death certificate, dated September 9, listed the cause of death as ecthyma gangrenosum, a rapid-onset and serious skin infection now known to affect those who are immunocompromised. It’s possible the underlying cause was a blood cancer such as leukemia.

Konstantin’s name is the only one inscribed on his ornate monument shown above, although Dinah was interred there as well after her death in 1907. 

In 1884, Otto left a note for his wife on the desk in his office, then committed suicide by hanging himself. She was the mother of two young children. He was buried at Mount Moriah in Section 104.