Who painted Saint Francis [far left panel]?

Saint Francis [far left panel] was painted by Cosimo Tura in c. 1470/1480.

Where can I see Saint Francis [far left panel]?

Saint Francis [far left panel] is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Saint Francis [far left panel]?

Saint Francis [far left panel] is associated with Early Renaissance.

Artwork

Saint Francis [far left panel]

Cosimo Tura , 1475

Saint Francis [far left panel] is an oil painting by the Early Renaissance artist Cosimo Tura. It dates from 1475 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This painting by Cosmè Tura, created around 1475, depicts Saint Francis of Assisi.

About this work

Technique & Style

The support is a narrow vertical panel measuring approximately 30 by 11 cm, consistent with its function as a lateral element of a larger polyptych ensemble.

Saint Francis [far left panel] by Cosmè Tura is executed in tempera and distemper on a wooden panel, a mixed binding medium characteristic of mid-Quattrocento Ferrarese practice. The support is a narrow vertical panel measuring approximately 30 by 11 cm, consistent with its function as a lateral element of a larger polyptych ensemble. The handling reflects Tura's distinctive linear, sharply contoured style, in which forms are defined by crisp edges and metallic precision rather than soft tonal blending.

Stylistically, the work belongs to Tura's mature Ferrarese manner of 1475, marked by taut draftsmanship and sculptural treatment of drapery. The painting is held in the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it has been preserved since its 1952 gift.

Note: one source (Wikidata) lists the medium as oil paint on panel, which conflicts with the National Gallery of Art's cataloguing of tempera and distemper on panel; the NGA corpus record is treated as authoritative for this section.

History & Provenance

The panel is dated to about 1475 and attributed to Cosmè Tura. It entered the Cook family collection by 1888, when Fritz Harck listed it at Doughty House, Richmond, Surrey, in the holdings of Sir Francis Cook, 1st baronet. By descent it passed to his son Sir Frederick Lucas Cook, then to Sir Herbert Frederick Cook, and then to Sir Francis Ferdinand Maurice Cook, 4th baronet, who oversaw its sale.

In February 1947 Francis A. Drey, London, brokered the transfer to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York. The foundation donated the work to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in 1952 as part of the Kress Collection.

The panel is held in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., as part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection and is inventoried as accession number 1952.1.1.

Its provenance traces from Sir Francis Cook’s collection at Doughty House, Richmond, by 1888, through successive Cook heirs until sold by Francis A. Drey, London, to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in February 1947, and then gifted to the Gallery in 1952.

Legacy

Later scholarship has treated the far‑left panel of Tura’s altarpiece as a key example of Lombard devotional painting, using its documented provenance from the Cook family and its 1947 acquisition by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation to trace the artist’s posthumous reputation. Its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art’s Kress collection brought the work to a broader public and inspired studies of Tura’s iconography, particularly the portrayal of Saint Francis. The panel’s influence persists in exhibitions and academic discussions of early Renaissance narrative composition, cementing its legacy within the history of European religious art.

Overview

This painting by Cosmè Tura, created around 1475, depicts Saint Francis of Assisi. Executed in tempera and distemper on a wooden panel, it likely formed part of a larger altarpiece or devotional work. The piece presents the revered saint in a contemplative pose, characterized by a direct and unadorned representation, typical of religious commissions of the period.

Subject & Meaning

The panel portrays Saint Francis of Assisi, identifiable by his traditional brown monastic habit and a luminous halo. He stands barefoot on a subtle brown ground, holding a book in his right hand while his left gestures downward. The saint's expression is serene and understated, reflecting a humble piety. This depiction emphasizes his ascetic life and devotion, central tenets of his spiritual legacy.

Artist & collection

Artist

Cosimo Tura

Cosmè Tura (Italian pronunciation:; c. 1430 – 1495), also known as Il Cosmè or Cosimo Tura, was an Italian early-Renaissance (or Quattrocento) painter and considered one of the founders of the School of Ferrara. He…