Artwork
The Vision of St. Francis of Assisi
The Vision of St. Francis of Assisi is a print by the Renaissance artist Pietro Faccini. It dates from 1590 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Created circa 1590, The Vision of St.
- Accession no.
- 1980.95
- Credit line
- Delia E. Holden Fund
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1590, The Vision of St. Francis of Assisi is a print by Bologna‑based artist Pietro Faccini. The work captures the moment the saint kneels and looks upward toward a luminous source, set against a sparse landscape of trees and a distant mountain. Its composition balances a restrained background with a focused, emotive figure, illustrating a pivotal episode in the saint’s hagiography.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays Saint Francis experiencing a divine revelation, his posture kneeling and his gaze directed at an intense light. The saint’s expression combines surprise with a hint of apprehension, suggesting both awe and the human vulnerability that accompanies spiritual encounters. This emphasis on personal emotion reflects contemporary interests in depicting inner religious experience.
Technique & Style
Faccini employs elongated proportions and fluid gestures that echo late Mannerist aesthetics, while the dramatic lighting and naturalistic details anticipate Baroque sensibilities. The contrast between illuminated figure and shadowed surroundings demonstrates an early use of chiaroscuro, enhancing the emotional impact and three‑dimensionality of the scene.
History & Provenance
Active as a painter, draughtsman, and printmaker in early modern Italy, Faccini produced this work during a transitional period in his career. While specific ownership records are scarce, the print circulated among devotional collections in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, contributing to the spread of his hybrid stylistic approach.
Context
The piece emerges at a time when Italian art was shifting from the artificial elegance of Mannerism toward the dynamic realism of the Baroque. Bologna’s artistic milieu, influenced by the Carracci reform, encouraged experimentation with naturalism and emotional expression, trends that Faccini integrates into his depiction of the saint’s vision.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pietro Faccini or Facini (1562 – 1 April 1602), was an Italian painter, draughtsman and printmaker. He was active near his birthplace of Bologna working in a style bridging Mannerism and the nascent Baroque.
