St. Francis (copy) 1512 - 1600

Editor: This is a woodcut from the Northern Renaissance, a copy of "St. Francis", made sometime between 1512 and 1600. I'm struck by its humble simplicity; St. Francis looks so earnest. How do you read this image? Curator: Well, first off, I’m immediately transported. The slightly clumsy, but wonderfully expressive lines bring to mind a medieval manuscript. You almost feel you could turn the page and find a dragon! This particular copy probably aimed to make the saint accessible to a broader audience. The use of a woodcut as opposed to a more exclusive painting technique suggests a democratisation of religious imagery. Do you notice the vibrant rays of light emanating from the angel? Editor: I do! They almost seem to overwhelm St. Francis. Is there significance to that? Curator: Perhaps. Perhaps the divine experience is meant to be so intense that it reshapes reality. The world is simplified through these shapes and colors. It speaks to how faith simplifies our relationship to the natural world, wouldn't you say? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered, it seems to transform the idea of accessibility from production, into an accessible narrative, too! Curator: Precisely. This St. Francis offers a doorway into something deeply profound. Editor: I’ll definitely look at these early prints differently now. Thanks!