Artwork
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Fernando Yáñez de la Almedina. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1515 by Fernando Yáñez de la Almedina, this oil painting presents Saint Francis of Assisi in a contemplative pose. The work is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection in Madrid and exemplifies early 16th‑century Spanish religious art.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is shown in a modest brown habit with a hood, barefoot, holding a wooden crucifix in one hand and a green, rope‑tied book in the other. These attributes identify the saint and underscore his vows of poverty and devotion to the Gospel.
Technique & Style
Yáñez employs a chiaroscuro treatment, using strong contrasts of light and shadow to model the saint’s calm face and the folds of his robe. The background features a rough stone wall that recedes into a muted landscape, reinforcing the three‑dimensional effect typical of High Renaissance influence.
History & Provenance
Born around 1475 of Morisco descent, Yáñez trained in Italy where he encountered Leonardo’s methods before returning to Spain. His exposure to Italian techniques informed the composition and modeling evident in this work, which later entered the Prado’s holdings.
Context
The painting reflects the broader diffusion of Italian High Renaissance aesthetics into Spanish art during the early 1500s. Religious subjects, especially saints, were common commissions, and the work’s sober palette aligns with contemporary devotional imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Fernando (or Hernando) Yáñez de la Almedina, born in Almedina, Spain in c. 1475 and died in Valencia, Kingdom of Spain in 1536, was a Spanish painter. He was one of the most important early Renaissance painters in…
![Saint Francis [far left panel], by Cosmè Tura](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/cosme-tura--saint-francis-far-left-panel--3b890eb4471ebc8a-w320.webp)
