17th Century San Francesco d'Assisi Painting Oil on Copper

About the Item

17th century San Francesco d'Assisi Oil on copper, 26.5 x 21 cm The present Saint Francis is exemplified in the perfect post-Tridentine iconography: in ascetic transport and enraptured in divine mysticism, with his hands crossed in front of his chest. The other attributes usual to him, such as Franciscan habit, hermit's beard, crucifix and stigmata, had instead been advanced since the approval of the Rule of the order, which occurred in 1223 thanks to Pope Honorius III. Even the representation in strong shadow, with a hint of a harsh wild landscape beyond the window, reflects the counter-reformist wishes of an austere essentiality that would favor a direct message of apostolate, free from any material distraction. Born in 1182 by Pietro di Bernardone, as a well-known rich merchant of precious fabrics, who worked so hard with the French territories that he nicknamed his son, actually baptized John, franciscus or "French / French", the young saint participated at first to the courtly-knightly life. His redemption and the radical turn of life, with the foundation of the Order of Friars Minor, produced changes with capital consequences in the history of the Western world and beyond. According to the various hagiographies, the stigmata "from Christ ... last seal" (Dante, Par., XI, vv, 107) appeared to the saint in 1224, following a forty-day fast on the Verna mountain, located between the Tiber and the Arno, the area where the Franciscan sanctuary of the same name would later rise. Francis saw a crucified seraphim, and later symbols appeared on his body that would later qualify him as a highly recognizable alter Christus.

Dimensions:

Height: 10.44 in (26.5 cm)Width: 8.27 in (21 cm)Depth: 1.19 in (3 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Copper,Paint,Hand-Painted,Oiled,Painted

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

17th Century

Date of Manufacture:

17th Century

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use.