St Francis of Assisi as Depicted in Art

Giotto’s cycle of paintings (c. 1290–1300) in the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi has shaped the artistic and human image of Saint Francis to this day. Through his depiction, Giotto shaped the image of the saint right up to the present day. Of course, Francis was also depicted countless times in the centuries that followed, with the stigmata often taking centre stage. Alongside an artistic assessment of the images, we ask to what extent art – complementing the surviving texts – can deepen our understanding of the ‘Poverello’.