Saint Franciscus c. 1480

This work, Saint Franciscus, was created by an anonymous artist. The aged appearance of the artwork is due to the unusual technique of the surface being scratched into a dark background. The artist seems to have worked in reverse, like a printmaker, revealing the image by removing material. The fine lines create a sense of depth and texture, contrasting with the solid areas of the dark background. It’s a bit like scrimshaw, the art of carving into whalebone, though on a much more delicate scale. This approach to image-making— focused on removal and revelation—speaks to the qualities of the saint himself, who stripped away earthly possessions to find spiritual truth. The amount of work involved in creating this artwork is impressive, which highlights the degree of devotion that went into its production, imbuing this work with a unique cultural significance. So next time you look at an artwork, don't just consider what is represented, but how it was made. The materials and processes used can tell us so much about the context and meaning of a piece.