작품 상세

Neapolitan school. 17th century. 'Saint Francis of Assisi' Sculpture in carved wood and glued fabric, polychromed. Accompanied by its original carved and gilded wooden base. Total measurements: 123 x 45 x 34 cm.  Height without base: 112 cm.   This is a sculpture in the round representing Saint Francis of Assisi, dressed in the habit of the order, fitted at the waist, with puffed folds visible at the waist and back. It has lost the rope cincture with three knots, symbolising the Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, traditionally made of rope to enhance its realism.   The saint, with dark hair and beard, is depicted standing in a reflective and prayerful attitude, with his arms crossed over his chest. Although it no longer preserves its classical attributes due to this pose, such as a cross in one hand and a skull in the other, or the banner of the order with the intertwined arms and cross, the sculpture features a pile of books at his feet. According to other iconographic models, these represent the Gospels that he read with devotion. A small hole and a trace in the tone and colour of the book cover clearly indicate the former presence of a skull resting upon them, his beloved Sister Death.   The stigmata on the hands, feet and side are clearly visible, the latter indicated by a slit in the habit. These wounds recall a key episode in the life of the Poor Man of Assisi: the miracle of the stigmatisation on Mount La Verna on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, near Arezzo, when Saint Francis envisioned the crucified Christ and the wounds were imprinted on his body, materialising as stigmata. The sculpture, of medium proportions, reveals the carver’s interest primarily in the study of anatomy, as well as the quality of the drapery, which, although made of glued canvas, is perfectly integrated. The garments are simple and austere, without gilded decoration, and the artist even chose to include minute details such as a patched habit, with visible stitching on each patch in a lighter tone than the main fabric, while the overall lines remain smooth and falling, without movement or dramatic folds. By contrast, the artist successfully achieved harmony between the rectilinear stance and the naturalism of the gesture, imbued with profound humility, in keeping with the virtues preached by the Franciscan order. The head is executed using the so called mask technique, a second piece of wood carved separately and exclusively for the face, which facilitated the insertion of glass eyes inside the sculpture and aided the finishing of the flesh tones. This was a widely used technique in Baroque imagery of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. From a cultural perspective, this work belongs to a period in which artistic commissions were predominantly ecclesiastical. Both cathedrals and religious orders focused their interest on commissioning altarpieces and free standing sculptures, some of small format for devotional use in chapels and oratories. A work such as this invites the viewer to observe, meditate and keep silence.