Lower Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi
Master of Saint Francis
The Master of St. Francis was an anonymous Italian painter trained in Umbria, active between 1260 and 1280, author of some paintings characterized by dramatic expressiveness combined with a use of line and brilliant colour. The name derives from a panel depicting Saint Francis and two angels now in the Museum of the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli in Assisi.
He was the first painter employed in the Basilica of St. Francis, where around 1255-1260 he realized in the nave of the lower Basilica two cycles of frescoes depicting Stories of the Life of St. Francis and Stories of the Passion of Christ, unfortunately greatly damaged by the later opening of the side chapels.
For the Upper Basilica, he designed the stained glass windows (1270 app.).
Stylistically, it shows the influence of Giunta Pisano, probably his master, from whom he took the compositional finesse, exasperated, however, by expressive accentuations that have even been described as “theatrical”.
He was among the masters who influenced Cimabue’s style.
He made the Preaching to the Birds, in the Lower Basilica, dating back to about 1255.
Upper Basilica of St Francis, Assisi
Giotto
Giotto is the protagonist of the new cycle in the lower part of the nave, which began immediately after 1296 due to the modern initiative of the new Franciscan General. Frescoes of the stories of St.Francis already existed in the lower basilica: the new fact is that Giotto’s series is neither biographical nor hagiographical but conceptual and demonstrative while respecting the historical sources.
The aim is to delineate in a historical and not a legendary or poetic sense, the figure of the “modern” Saint, creator of a triumphantly expanding movement, whose strength is an impetus for the renewal of the Church.
The figure that stands out in Giotto’s frescoes is certainly not that of the “poverello” (the “Little Poor Man”) described by Tommaso da Celano or the suffering ascetic portrayed by Cimabue: it is a person full of dignity and moral authority whose acts, more than miracles, are memorable, historical facts.
All the panels […] have a perspective construction; but since it is the represented fact that determines it, it is never the same. In the Preaching to the Birds, the synthetic volume of the empty space is obtained by simply opposing the slightly inclined vertical of the trunk to the slight curvature of the horizon and isolating the compact masses of the trees’ foliage in the blue of the sky.
Upper Basilica of St Francis, Assisi
Giotto
Giotto is the protagonist of the new cycle in the lower part of the nave, which began immediately after 1296 due to the modern initiative of the new Franciscan General. Frescoes of the stories of St.Francis already existed in the lower basilica: the new fact is that Giotto’s series is neither biographical nor hagiographical but conceptual and demonstrative while respecting the historical sources.
The aim is to delineate in a historical and not a legendary or poetic sense, the figure of the “modern” Saint, creator of a triumphantly expanding movement, whose strength is an impetus for the renewal of the Church.
The figure that stands out in Giotto’s frescoes is certainly not that of the “poverello” (the “Little Poor Man”) described by Tommaso da Celano or the suffering ascetic portrayed by Cimabue: it is a person full of dignity and moral authority whose acts, more than miracles, are memorable, historical facts.
All the panels […] have a perspective construction; but since it is the represented fact that determines it, it is never the same. In the Preaching to the Birds, the synthetic volume of the empty space is obtained by simply opposing the slightly inclined vertical of the trunk to the slight curvature of the horizon and isolating the compact masses of the trees’ foliage in the blue of the sky.
Chiesa di San Francesco, Montefalco
Benozzo Gozzoli
Benozzo Gozzoli decorated the main chapel of the Franciscan church of Montefalco between 1450 and 1452. The cycle of frescoes depicts the most important episodes from the life of St. Francis, according to a programme perhaps set out by the man who commissioned it, Fra’ Jacopo di Mattiolo.
Montefalco’s proximity to the city of Assisi did not prevent this cycle from differing significantly from the Stories of St. Francis frescoed by Giotto. Benozzo painted the stories on three levels seeking to adapt the paintings to the pre-existing (tall and narrow) structure of the apse, often by depicting several events within the same panel.
The Preaching to the Birds and the Blessing of Montefalco are set in a real landscape depicted in minute detail. On the left, halfway up the mountain, is Assisi with its castle and the imposing Basilica. Francis speaks to the birds while pointing to the sky, to indicate that he is inspired in this act by God the Father. On the right is represented Montefalco. St. Francis, accompanied by his disciple, blesses four men in prayer. The episode of this blessing refers to a local tradition and is not mentioned in any stories from the life of Saint Francis.