1440
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
St. Francis Kneeling before Christ on the Cross is a 1440 unspecified by Sassetta, a Early Renaissance work, depicting Crucifix, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
The painting shows St. Francis kneeling before a cross with a leafy tree and a nest of pelicans above. St. Francis was a saint known for his simple and devoted life. He had a special connection with nature and animals. The tree and pelicans in the painting might symbolize this connection. You can learn more about similar artwork by looking into the technique of sfumato.
Because of his simplicity, piety, and devotion to all living creatures, Saint Francis (1181–1226) has remained among the most revered and popular saints. Born to wealthy parents in Assisi, he first lived a life of spendthrift luxury. However, Francis later gave up all worldly goods and embraced an existence of utter poverty. Throughout his adult life, the saint experienced mystical trances and visions of Christ. Atop the cross here is a leafy tree and a nest of pelicans. Fifteenth-century viewers would have recognized the tree as a reference to the cross, which is often described as a tree,…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Stefano di Giovanni di Consolo, known as il Sassetta (c. 1392–1450) was a Tuscan painter of the Renaissance, and a significant figure of the Sienese School. While working within the Sienese tradition, he innovated the…
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