Analysing St Francis In Ecstasy Religion Essay Essay Example

Analysing St Francis In Ecstasy Religion Essay Essay Example Analysing St Francis In Ecstasy Religion Essay Paper Analysing St Francis In Ecstasy Religion Essay Paper The Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa houses several pieces of art work from the Renaissance epoch that trade with spiritual subjects. One peculiarly interesting illustration of Renaissance art work is Bernardo Strozzi s St. Francis in Ecstasy ( fourteenth century ) . This painting refers to Francis of Assisi, birth name Giovanni di Bernardone. Francis was known as the frequenter saint of the animate beings, environment, and of Italy. He was born into a wealth merchandiser household in 1182. In 1201 he joined the war between his hometown and the nearby town of Perugia. During this clip he was captured and was a captive for a twelvemonth. Following this he fell earnestly sick and therefore began his transition. In 1209 he began the creative activity of a new spiritual order based on entire poorness and sermon. Francis so took his first followings to acquire permission from Pope Innocent III to do it official. Once the order was approved they chose the name of Friars Minor intending sm allest of us which refered to the Gospels ( Matthew 25:40-45 ) . In 1212 a adult female by the name of Claire so joined Francis and was so converted. The transition of Claire set the foundation for the Poor Claires which is the 2nd Franciscan order. The Third Order was created in 1221 and was dedicated to the layman, leting everyone to acknowledge Christ without abdicating the secular universe. During the sixteenth century he gained a batch of acknowledgment through pictures, more so than during his clip in the 13th and 14th centuries for his spiritual work and spiritual art being prevalent in this period. Bernardo Strozzi was an Italian painter born in 1581. By the age of 17 he joined a monastery and finally left 10 old ages subsequently to take attention of his sick female parent after the passing of his male parent. During this clip he sold painting to gain a life. His pictures conveyed the Franciscan instructions from his instruction at the monastery. Strozzi sold his picture for many old ages and was so tried for practising art without being decently licensed. After being tried he spent a short period of clip in gaol for his offense. Five old ages subsequently Strozzi s female parent died and he relocated to Genoa and continued picture and became really good known for his endowment. [ 2^ ] [ 6^ ] During the period that Strozzi was caring for his female parent he created St. Francis in Ecstasy. During this clip Christian art was really popular and with it was the usage of saints in every type of work. Saints are thought to be the ears of God and everything or state of affairs has a saint. Strozzi used many different saints in his plants and one if his most noteworthy plants he used St. Francis of Assisi. Harmonizing to Terry Jones, St. Francis took the Gospels as the regulation of his life, Jesus Christ as his actual illustration. He dressed in unsmooth apparels, begged for his nutriment, and preached pureness and peace. His household disapproved, and his male parent disinherited him ; Francis officially renounced his wealth and heritage. He visited infirmaries, served the ill, preached in the streets, and took all work forces and adult females as siblings, visited and preached to the Saracens, composed vocals and anthem to God and nature, lived with animate beings, worked wi th his custodies, cared for lazars, cleaned churches, and sent nutrient to stealers. He began to pull followings in 1209, and with apostolic approval, founded the Franciscans based on a simple statement by Jesus: Leave all and follow me. In 1212 Clare of Assisi became his religious pupil, which led to the initiation of the Poor Clares. In 1221 he resigned way of the Franciscans. While in speculation on Mount Alvernia in the Apennines in September 1224, Francis received the stigmata, which sporadically bled during the staying two old ages of his life. This miracle has a separate commemoration on 17 September. [ 2^ ] [ 5^ ] The chief focal point of this picture is the aura, besides referred to as a rain cloud. This is placed behind the caputs of spiritual figures and symbolizes ageless life or infinity. Strozzi had non come out of his Carravogesque wonts being that this is an early work and hence utilizations deep colourss conveying decease. The contrast between the dark back land and the aura makes this the focal point of the picture. The look on St. Francis face suggests that he is holding a really passionate experience looking upward presumptively toward Eden. [ 1^ ] When looking at this painting the focal point seems to travel, get downing at the part that is brighter being the caput and so in an upward diagonal gesture towards the upper right part of the picture. In this corner is Jesus on the cross. Throughout the picture Strozzi does non utilize lines except on the cross. Aside from the texture of the pigment there is besides no knowing texture added. Traveling from the cross down to the organic structure of St. Francis you can besides see that the usage of overlapping as the legs curtain over the arm. The rope belt that is seen contains knots, which is used in most pictures incorporating St. Francis, is a signifier of symbolism for poorness, celibacy, and obeisance. [ 1^ ] Last the focal point comes upon an unfastened book resting on a skull. By and large when there is a book it represents the word of God ( Bible ) . An unfastened book represents truth or disclosure. The skull resting underneath the book is understood to stand for decease. Puting the two together can be interpreted in many ways. The representation of these figures in this picture is most likely a statement about St. Francis realisation of his ain mortality. His disclosure may hold been that he knew that with decease came finalisation, nevertheless through the word of God his thoughts and beliefs could be carried on past his ain decease. [ 1^ ] [ 3^ ] [ 1^ ] Symbols in Christian Art A ; Architecture. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. hypertext transfer protocol: //wegast.home.att.net/symbols/ [ 2^ ] Saint Francis of Assisi. Saints.SQPN.com. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. hypertext transfer protocol: //saints.sqpn.com/saint-francis-of-assisi [ 3^ ] Strozzi, Bernardo. St. Francis in Ecstasy. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK. Philbrook Museum of Art. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.philbrook.org/exhibitions/galleries/page.cfm? page=22 [ 4^ ] Historical Sketch of the Order of Friars Minor. ORDO FRATRUM MINORUM. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ofm.org/1/info/INFhist.html [ 5^ ] Symbols of the Saints in Art. The Whys and Hows of Traditional Catholicism. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fisheaters.com/saintsart.html [ 6^ ] Bernardo Strozzi Biography ( 1581 1644 ) . The Humanistic disciplines: Fine Art, Contemporary Art A ; Music. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. hypertext transfer protocol: //arts.jrank.org/pages/16869/Bernardo-Strozzi.html