Skip to main content

Secondary sourceArtifact

Saint Francis of Assisi (engraving after Guercino)

F. Spagnoli after Guercino

An engraving by F. Spagnoli after a painting by Guercino, held by the Wellcome Collection, showing Francis kneeling in a rocky landscape.

Shows how 17th-century artists, copying Guercino, portrayed Francis in prayer and penitence.

Ask Saint Francis about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Engraving of Saint Francis of Assisi kneeling in a rocky landscape, hands clasped, wearing a brown hooded habit with a rosary. A skull lies on the ground beside a wooden cross, and an open book rests on a stone ledge. A second figure sits at right. Inscribed title and artist credits appear below.
F. Spagnoli after Guercino, Saint Francis of Assisi, engraving. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This is an engraving by F. Spagnoli, made after a painting by Guercino (G.F. Barbieri), and held by the Wellcome Collection. It shows Saint Francis of Assisi kneeling in a rocky landscape, hands clasped, wearing a brown hooded habit with a rosary. A skull lies beside a wooden cross, and an open book rests on a stone ledge. A second figure sits at right. The inscription names the saint and both artists.

Why it matters

An engraving copies a painting so that many people can own the image. Copies like this show how 17th-century artists, working from Guercino's painting, presented Francis as a figure of prayer and penitence. The image reflects the devotion of that period rather than Francis's own time.

Look closer

  • Which details, such as the skull, cross and book, tell viewers how to understand Francis?
  • Why would an engraver copy a painting, and who might buy such prints?
  • What does the picture leave out about Francis's life of preaching and his work with the poor?

This artifact 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.

More Saint Francis sources

Meet the AI Saint Francis →
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

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Saint Francis now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions