Saint Francis in the Desert

Saint Francis in the Desert is a mixed oil and tempera painting by Giovanni Bellini. He painted it in Venice, Italy around 1477-1479. The painting portrays Saint Francis standing on a rock, facing the sky with his palms face out and toward the sky. Saint Francis is depicted to be communing with God in a landscape filled with references to the crucifixion and to Moses, whom the Franciscans identified with their founder. The building behind Saint Francis is believed to be a monastery. There is some speculation as to what exactly Saint Francis is doing however. Many say the scene is of religious ecstasy and that Saint Francis is having some sort of worldly experience: receiving Christ’s wounds. At the time, monks were known as humble people and those who renounced worldly goodsThis painting is interesting because it demonstrates the access to materials the Venetians had. This is one of the earliest paintings in oil, and the Venetians were one of the first to have access to oil due to their central location around other nations. The funny reason why this painting was the most interesting for me is because I had just learned about it in my Art History class about two weeks prior to visiting the Frick Collection. I had studied in depth the art of the Renaissance in Quattrocento Italy so at the Frick I was actually able to recognize the painting immediately.