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Secondary sourceArtifact

Saint Francis of Assisi kneeling, contemplating a skull

An engraving held by the Wellcome Collection showing Francis kneeling in contemplation beside a skull, a later devotional image of the saint.

Shows how later artists pictured Francis in prayer and meditation, long after his lifetime.

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Engraving of a bearded friar in a hooded brown robe kneeling on rocky ground, hands clasped at his chest, looking down. A skull and a wooden cross lie at his feet. A second, smaller kneeling figure in a hood sits on the right beside a rock. An open book rests on a ledge at left, and trees grow on the rocky hillside.
Saint Francis of Assisi, kneeling, contemplating a skull, engraving. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This is an engraving held by the Wellcome Collection in the United Kingdom. It shows a bearded friar in a hooded brown robe kneeling on rocky ground, hands clasped, looking down. A skull and a wooden cross lie at his feet, and an open book rests on a ledge. A smaller hooded figure sits to the right. The skull is a memento mori, a reminder of death, and the image contains no gore or violence. The record gives no artist or date.

Why it matters

Prints like this one spread devotional images of saints to many readers and worshippers. The scene of Francis meditating on death reflects how later Christian artists pictured him as a model of prayer and humility, centuries after his own lifetime.

Look closer

  • What objects around Francis suggest the theme of the picture, and what do they mean?
  • Why might an artist choose a rocky, solitary setting for a saint?
  • What does the print leave out about Francis's own words and actions?

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.

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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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