Report on Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) The National Gallery in London (until 30 July) is collecting works by great masters as well as works of contemporary art inspired by this particular medieval personality. In addition, the exhibition also has a strong symbolism, if identified, since the figure of St. Francis of Assisi has a universal and intercultural character, associated with love for one’s neighbor and for all animals. This respect for all living things has become the core of a philosophy that may be associated with St. Francis of Assisi, but also runs through later and even modern manifestations of spiritual activity. The London exhibition focuses on the life and legacy of this eminent saint, as well as his iconography, which has been depicted in high and popular art in various ways over the centuries.

His form has gained popularity, resembling that of a familiar and beloved saint, even outside the Catholic Church. At the exhibition, the visitor will see approaches to his form from the collections of the National Gallery (Botticelli, Sassetta and Turbaran) or from borrowings (Caravaggio, Stanley Spencer, Anthony Gormley, etc.), as well as the result of a task for Richard Long.

The exhibition is holistic in the sense that it focuses on the power and spread of the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi from the great masters to Marvel comics and from contemporary artists to motion pictures. The populism inherent in the saint also acquired the qualities of a pop star, the opposite, of course, to what he preached about humility and the rejection of wealth. Saint Francis of Assisi is also associated with the denial of worldly life and the support of the poor and all the helpless creatures on the planet. The ideological version of Christian socialism is also based there. The universality of the acceptance of St. Francis of Assisi concerns many cultural traditions and theological positions.

This phenomenon has affected the collective subconscious and, accordingly, all forms of art. From medieval manuscripts to 20th-century comics, its form also bears a moral imprint.

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