Illustrations of St Francis by Josep Segrelles

Segrelles was born and died in the Valencian village of Albaida, and his house has been turned into a museum. Born into a family of painters, he studied fine arts in Valencia and Barcelona, where he began a lifelong professional career as a painter and illustrator. In total, his works are thought to amount to more than five thousand items. His specialties were watercolor for illustrations, and oil for his paintings. His illustrations for the Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi were extremely popular.

Among his depictions of Saint Francis, one shows the saint kneeling in contemplative prayer amid a forest clearing, emphasizing his humility and his harmonious connection with nature. Another illustrates the famous sermon to the birds, capturing Francis’ gentle gestures and the attentive flock, highlighting Segrelles’ narrative and naturalistic skill. A third depicts Saint Francis receiving the stigmata, with a hovering seraph and dramatic lighting intensifying the spiritual significance, while his expression conveys awe and suffering. The fourth portrays the saint in quiet meditation, surrounded by objects symbolizing his devotion and ascetic life, with subtle colors and shadow creating an intimate, reflective atmosphere.

Together, these four works exemplify Segrelles’ mastery of watercolor and illustration, combining storytelling, expressive character, and atmospheric depth to bring the life and spirituality of Saint Francis vividly to the viewer.

Saint Francis helps a lepper who to be cured and cleaned. Segrelles emphasizes the saint’s humility through his posture and simple habit, while the surrounding nature, rendered in delicate watercolors, suggests a serene connection between the saint and creation.

Saint Francis leans towards his brother, in order to share and preach. The composition balances the expressive gestures of the saint with the attentive birds, highlighting Segrelles’ skill in combining narrative storytelling with naturalistic details.

Saint Francis is shown receiving the stigmata, with a seraphic figure hovering above. The dramatic lighting, a hallmark of Segrelles’ illustration style, intensifies the spiritual gravity of the moment, while the saint’s expression reflects both awe and suffering.

Saint Francis has a vision of our Lord, kneeling before Him in order to receive His blessing. Segrelles’ subtle use of light and shadow creates an intimate, reflective atmosphere, emphasizing the saint’s contemplative nature.

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This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.