Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640)
Saint Francis
INV-1003
Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640)c. 1615
Saint Francis
Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640) →17th Centurypaintingoil on panel
Date
c. 1615
Medium
Oil on panel
Dimensions
99 × 78.8 cm (43 1/4 × 31 in.); Framed: 148 × 118.8 × 7.6 cm (58 1/4 × 46 3/4 × 3 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
George F. Harding Collection
The Franciscans were among the reformed religious orders whose preaching and teaching activities helped revive the Roman Catholic Church in the Southern Netherlands following years of religious and political turmoil in the 1500s. Peter Paul Rubens here depicted the order’s founder, Saint Francis of Assisi, recognizable by the wound that imitates the pierced hands of the crucified Jesus. In this portrait-like image, which was likely made on commission, Rubens conveyed the saint’s spirituality through his meditative gaze and posture.
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