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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1475-1480

Saint Francis in the Desert

Giovanni Bellini · c. 1475-1480

A Renaissance painting by Giovanni Bellini showing Francis of Assisi standing in a sunlit rocky landscape, likely depicting his stigmata.

Francis is the central figure depicted, shown receiving divine light in a moment associated with his stigmata.

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Painting of a barefoot Saint Francis in a brown robe with arms outstretched, gazing upward in a rocky landscape. A donkey, a walled hilltop town, a skull, and a wooden lectern with a book stand nearby. Trees and a cave appear at right.
Giovanni Bellini, Saint Francis in the Desert, c. 1475-1480. Frick Collection, New York.

About this source

What it is

This oil-and-tempera painting was made by the Italian Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini, begun around 1475 and finished about 1480. It shows Saint Francis of Assisi stepping out of a cave into a glowing landscape. It is signed by Bellini and is now held at the Frick Collection in New York.

Why it matters

The painting captures a key moment often associated with Francis: his stigmatization on the mountain of La Verna, shown through golden light falling from the upper left. Items in the cave—a book, a skull, a crown of thorns, a cross made of branches—point to his life of poverty and devotion. The surrounding landscape, with farmland, animals and a shepherd, reflects Francis's association with nature. The painting shows how later generations imagined and idealized Francis long after his lifetime.

Look closer

  • What objects in the cave tell you about how Francis lived?
  • Why might the artist have chosen to show light coming from one direction?
  • What might the animals and landscape be meant to symbolize?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Francis on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Manuscript page in Latin with black gothic script and red initial letter M and red-highlighted lines, with handwritten marginal notes on the right. The text includes 'Altissimu onnipotente bon signore' and 'Laudes creaturarum', consistent with the Canticle of the Sun.Book

Primary source

Canticle of the Sun

Francis of Assisi · 1226

Photograph of a small, aged parchment sheet sealed in a metal-framed case. It has faded brown ink text in Latin with red headings, a large hand-drawn red and brown Tau cross with a figure-like sketch, and a few lines of writing at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Chartula fratri Leonis

Francis of Assisi · 1224

Book

Secondary source

First Life of Saint Francis

Thomas of Celano · 1230

Gold-background panel painting in a gabled wooden frame. A standing robed friar with a halo holds a book and raises one hand, flanked by two angels above. Smaller framed scenes in the side panels show his life events in colorful architecture.Painting

Secondary source

Saint Francis of Assisi and Scenes of His Life

Bonaventura Berlinghieri · 1235

Aerial view of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi on a hilltop, with its pink-toned stone walls, a tall bell tower, and a large sloping retaining wall. A parking area and winding road are below, with green valley and hills in the distance under a cloudy sky.Artifact

Secondary source

Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi

begun 1228

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