Saint Francis Of Assisi Analysis

The two wonderful, yet drastically contrasted paintings of Saint Sebastian and Saint Francis of Assisi tell the story of these saints, as seen by their artists, using each their own set of skills and representing a separate set of ideas. To begin, the artist of Saint Sebastian, Andrea Mantegna (c. 1431 - September 13, 1506), was proficient in linear and atmospheric perspective. Though not always mathematically correct, his paintings had a level of depth that would have made them quite astonishing for their time (and still to this day). He started his painting career as the apprentice of Francesco Squarcione in Padua (Northern Italy). There, he studied ancient Greek and Roman art and ruins, which would greatly influence his later works. Later

The subject of the painting is Saint Sebastian (hence the title), and legend states that he was actually a captain under the roman emperor Diocletian. In that time, christians were persecuted simply for being christian. Sebastian found himself to be one of those christians, and after helping other christians he was found out. Because he wouldn’t relinquish his religion, he was sentenced to execution. He was shot with arrows, but the attack did not kill him (he would later be clubbed to death). The painting itself depicts Saint Sebastian just moments after he was shot by the arrows. It is clear to see that Mantegna was greatly influenced by classical art and architecture. Saint Sebastian’s body is monumental and very chiseled, much like a Greek sculpture. He is also painted in cotraposta; a technique developed in ancient Greece. All of his weight is on one leg, which gives the body a more fluid and dynamic quality. In fact, the arrows in his body further accentuate the s-curve in his body, as it would be highly unlikely that the archers would have shot him at so many different angles to execute him. The setting of the portrait is a study of ancient ruins, and a greatly detailed one at that.

Francisco de Zubaran (c. 1598 - August 27, 1664) was a painter who excelled in the technique of chiaroscuro (using light and dark contrast to shade and give depth to a painting), and is known for his religious paintings. His patron was none other than king Philip IV of Spain, and would have commissioned Saint Francis of Assisi. The painting itself is oil on canvas, and was painted in c. 1640. It is a larger painting than the Saint Sebastian, measuring 207 × 106 cm. It is said that Saint Francis of Assisi went to the mountain of La Verna in Italy to fast and contemplate. After many days of this, in a deep state of ecstasy, he had a vision of Christ on the cross being carried of by angels. When he came to, he had been marked by the stigmata; it was a wound near his heart, much like the one that Jesus had received when stabbed by a roman soldier on the cross. Though many painters of this time chose to show Francis’ vision on the mountain, Zubaran shows us a more direct and psychological version of the character. This may be in part due to the particular policies set in place by the council of Trent in 1563, which stipulated that religious art should not be confusing or disorganized in their composition, nor should they be profane or otherwise unfit for the house of God. Religious art, according to the council, should inspire piety in the viewer. Though Zubaran’s portrait definitely meets this