Saint Francis in Prayer by Caravaggio 1604

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Saint Francis in Prayer – Caravaggio, c. 1604–1606. Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome.

This painting depicts Saint Francis of Assisi in a moment of private devotion, kneeling in humble prayer. Caravaggio captures the saint’s austere and contemplative nature, emphasizing his ascetic life of poverty and humility. The figure is rendered against a dark, almost black background, isolating him and drawing attention to the interplay of light and shadow across his face and robes. The dramatic chiaroscuro characteristic of Caravaggio highlights the folds of his robe and the intense focus of his gaze, creating an intimate and spiritual atmosphere.

The work is unrecorded in early inventories, making it difficult to date precisely or distinguish the original from later copies. Scholars such as John Gash note that a version in the Chiesa dei Cappuccini may be a faithful copy of a lost original, possibly the painting once housed in the Church of San Pietro, Carpineto Romano (now in Museo di Palazzo Venezia). Another version is referenced by Helen Langdon in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini.

Caravaggio’s depiction of Saint Francis belongs to a recurring theme in his oeuvre, alongside John the Baptist and Saint Jerome, portraying solitary, brooding male figures alienated from human society. A connection to Caravaggio’s personal life is suggested by a 1603 libel trial in which Orazio Gentileschi testified to lending him a monk’s robe, possibly used in this painting. Stylistically, the austere composition and relatively restrained painterly technique have led some scholars, including Peter Robb, to date the work around 1606, slightly later than the initial 1602–1604 estimate.

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