Collection: St. Francis of Assisi Before Pope

ARTIST: Museum Religious Art Classics

ARTWORK NARRATIVE:

Artist: Luis Berrueco – c. 1710

This impressive artwork depicts Saint Francis receiving the investment of the Order of the Friars Minor from Pope Innocent III in 1209; it probably formed part of a larger pictorial cycle devoted to the life of the saint. Berrueco descended from a prominent dynasty of painters in Puebla and fulfilled many commissions in the region. Stylistically, the work recalls that of the famous Cristóbal de Villalpando (c. 1649–1714), who in 1689 painted the dome of the Puebla cathedral. Here some of the cardinals surrounding the pope appear to be contemporaneous portraits. The artist’s attention to detail, including the emphasis on the carpet, drapery, and the figures’ garments, is notable.

His feast day is October 4.