St. Francis in the Desert

The oil on panel work was commissioned by an esteemed Venetian bishop by the name of Giovanni Michiel. The dominating subject of the work, located in the foreground and positioned slightly to the right, is Saint Francis of Assisi. The scene depicted in the image has often been compared to Francis receiving the stigmata, which are Christ’s wounds from his crucifixion, on the Feast of the Holy Cross in 1224 [1]. However, later scholars have identified the scene as an illustration of Francis’ Hymn of the Sun, based on a period of his annual fast where he could not bear sunlight and was plagued by rodents [1]. Nonetheless, Francis is pictured having emerged from a dark cave directly behind him, with a source of light beaming on him from above creating a radiance or glow around his whole body. His upper torso is slightly slanted so that he gazes upwards, possibly looking towards the heavens or Christ. There is an immediate focus on Francis’ awe and his figure is made intentionally small to stress his insignificance compared to the divine power of God’s creation [2].

Pictured throughout the scene are various creatures, a connection to St Francis’ love of animals and his role as a patron saint [2]. In the background a shepherd is attending to his sheep, and towards the front are a  donkey, heron, and a rabbit. The sky is composed of a rich set of different shades of blue, with puffy white clouds establishing a sense of depth. The urban complex follows the curvature of the hills and mountains, with some buildings built into the sides of the landscape. Instead of tearing down the landscape, it appears the man made structures work in conjunction with nature in a harmonious relationship. Furthermore, the urban structures are miniscule in comparison to the vast amounts of grass, rock, and shrubbery which correlate the divine power and reign of nature.

Other objects included in the panel are designed to improve the realism and figurative connotations of the work. The skull on the top of the reading desk alludes to Golgotha as well as the mortal nature of human life in contrast with the eternal nature of the divine [2]. The sandals behind St. Francis recall an encounter between God and Moses, as detailed in the Holy Bible [3].  The dead, thin tree can initially be regarded as a symbol of Christ’s cross and crucifixion [3]. However, further intuition can relate the tree to the Burning Bush from the Book of Exodus [3]. In conclusion, the panel presents the permeation of divine power into the mortal lives of God’s people.


[1] Horst Janson and Anthony Janson, History of Art: The Western Tradition (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2004), 58.

[2] “The Ecstasy of St. Francis (1480),” Art Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of Art Education, Accessed November 11, 2020, http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/ecstasy-of-saint-francis.htm.

[3] “St. Francis in the Desert,” The Frick Collection, The Frick Collection, Accessed November 11, 2020, https://collections.frick.org/objects/39/st-francis-in-the-desert.

“The Ecstasy of St. Francis (1480).” Art Encyclopedia. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ART EDUCATION. Accessed November 11, 2020. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/ecstasy-of-saint-francis.htm.

Janson, Horst W, and Anthony F Janson. History of Art: The Western Tradition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2004.

The Frick Collection. “St. Francis in the Desert.” The Frick Collection. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://collections.frick.org/objects/39/st-francis-in-the-desert.

Image Source: Giovanni Bellini, European; Southern European; Italian, c.1430-1516. c. 1480. St. Francis in the Desert. Paintings. Place: The Frick Collection, New York, New York, USA, Purchased, 15.1.3, http://www.frick.org/. https://library.artstor.org/asset/AMICO_FRICK_103804828.