Italian school; XVIII century.

Italian school; XVIII century.
"St. Francis of Assisi."
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 47 x 37 cm; 67 x 57,5 cm (frame).
The work presents the saint in a concentrated foreground, inclined profile and low gaze, immersed in an attitude of meditation and interior recollection. The composition, centered almost exclusively on the head and bust, dispenses with superfluous narrative elements to focus attention on the psychological expression. The light falls laterally on the face, revealing in detail the texture of the aged skin, the incipient baldness and the long grayish beard, while the neutral and somber background envelops the figure in an atmosphere of silence. This light treatment, of strong hallmarks but soft transition, refers to the heritage of Caravaggio and his followers, whose influence continued in Italy during the entire eighteenth century. The saint appears dressed in the humble Franciscan habit, barely suggested by ample brown masses resolved with sober brushstrokes. Explicit attributes such as the crucifix or the skull are not represented here; holiness is expressed through the recollection and introspective intensity of the countenance.
The figure of Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order in the 13th century, was one of the favorite subjects of Italian art since the Renaissance. In the 18th century his image continued to enjoy enormous popularity, especially in convent environments and private collections, where these half-bust representations favored personal prayer.