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Secondary sourcePainting

Saint Francis of Assisi head and shoulders, etching by J. Callot

J. Callot

An oval etching of a bearded, hooded Francis with radiating rays, with a Latin inscription naming it a true likeness. It is signed by J. Callot.

This etching shows Francis head and shoulders with a Latin claim to be a true likeness, showing how his image was circulated in print.

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Oval etching of a bearded man in a hood with radiating rays behind his head, holding a pen and a book, with the Latin inscription 'Vera SS Francisci Effigies' and 'J. Callot fec.' below.
J. Callot, Vera SS. Francisci Effigies, etching. Wellcome Collection, United Kingdom.

About this source

What it is

This is an oval etching of Saint Francis of Assisi, head and shoulders. The print shows a bearded man in a hood with rays behind his head, holding a pen and a book. Below the image is the Latin inscription Vera SS. Francisci Effigies, meaning a true likeness of the saints Francis, and the signature I. Callot fec., which the catalogue reads as made by J. Callot. The print is held by the Wellcome Collection in the United Kingdom.

Why it matters

Francis died in 1226, so this etching is a later portrait, not a likeness drawn from life. Its inscription claims it is a true likeness, which shows how printmakers wanted buyers to trust their images of holy figures. Prints like this spread a saint's appearance across Europe, helping to shape how people recognised him.

Look closer

  • Why might the artist have included a pen and a book, and what do they suggest about Francis?
  • Who would have bought a print like this, and what does its Latin text reveal about its audience?
  • How can a portrait claim to be a true likeness when the subject lived centuries earlier?

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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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

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Secondary source

First Life of Saint Francis

Thomas of Celano · 1230

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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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