Launch of Franciscan Exhibition at the National Gallery
Launch of the St Francis of Assisi Exhibition at the National Gallery
Exhibiting at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the art and imagery of Saint Francis (1182–1226) from the 13th century to today, brings together paintings from the gallery’s collection by Sassetta, Botticelli, and Zurbarán with international loans including works by Caravaggio, Josefa de Óbidos, Stanley Spencer, Antony Gormley, Giuseppe Penone, Andrea Büttner, and an exciting new commission from Richard Long.
From some of the earliest medieval panels, relics and manuscripts to modern-day films and a Marvel comic, the exhibition shines a light on how Saint Francis has captured the imagination of artists through the centuries, and how his appeal has transcended generations, continents and different religious traditions.“Francis of Assisi enjoys astonishing and continuing popularity,” said Cardinal Nichols. “His love of and care for creation is often what opens for many the pathway of a deeper appreciation of this remarkable saint.”
The Cardinal pointed out that St Francis’s love of the natural world was never romantic:“Francis chose to leave his inherited comforts and identify with those at the mercy of the elements, those closest to the realities of nature: the lepers, the poor, the outcast. He suffered with them, often soaked to the skin and frozen to the marrow. Yet he sang to the glory of God seen and experienced in the features of the created world. The way of radical poverty and vulnerability that he chose is made clear by one look at his tunic, a precious relic kindly brought here from Florence.”
Read the full address here
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