Francisco de Zurbarán, 'Saint Francis in Meditation', 1635-9. Oil on canvas, 152 x 99 cm © The National Gallery, London

LONDON - The first major art exhibition in the UK to explore the life and legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi (1182–1226), one of history’s most inspirational and revered figures, will be staged at the National Gallery next spring.

The exhibition presents the art and imagery of Saint Francis from the 13th century to today and examines how his spiritual radicalism, his commitment to the poor, his love of God and nature, as well as his striving for peace between enemies and openness to dialogue with other religions, make him a figure of enormous relevance to our times.

Curated by National Gallery Director, Gabriele Finaldi, and the Ahmanson Research Associate Curator in Art and Religion at the National Gallery, Joost Joustra, Saint Francis of Assisi brings together paintings from across the National Gallery’s collection – by Sassetta, Botticelli, and Zurbarán –  with international loans, including Caravaggio’s 'Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy' (Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, about 1595), Josefa de Óbidos’s, 'Saint Francis and Saint Clare adoring the Christ Child in a Manger' (Lisbon, Private collection, 1647), as well as works by Stanley Spencer, Antony Gormley, Arte Povera artist Giuseppe Penone, and Andrea Büttner. The exhibition will include a new commission from Richard Long (b.1945).

The selected artworks, ranging from medieval painted panels (several predating the earliest paintings in the National Gallery), relics and manuscripts to films and even a Marvel comic book, will throw light on how Saint Francis has captured the imagination of artists, and how his appeal has transcended time, continents and differing religious traditions. From his native Umbria, Saint Francis’s image spread rapidly to become a global phenomenon. From the earliest written biographies by Thomas of Celano and Saint Bonaventure (13th century) and the first painted altarpieces and murals (notably those attributed to Giotto in the Upper Church of San Francesco at Assisi), Francis’s life became both an example worthy of imitation, and a continuous source of artistic fascination. His powerful appeals for peace and human solidarity, his engagement with Islam, and his embryonic environmentalism are themes that still resonate with us today.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated publication and by a rich programme of lectures, events, activities, and digital content.

6 May – 30 July 2023

Sassetta, The Stigmatisation of Saint Francis, 1437-44. Egg tempera on poplar, 87.8 × 52.5 cm © The National Gallery, London

Giovanni di Paolo, Saint Clare Rescuing a Child Mauled by a Wolf, 1455-60. Photo: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston/Thomas R DuBrock

Sandro Botticelli, Saint Francis of Assisi with Angels, about 1475-80. Tempera and oil on wood, 49.5 × 31.8 cm. © The National Gallery, London

El Greco (1541–1614), Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, 1590–​​​​​​​1595. Photo: The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

Caravaggio, Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy, c. 1595. Oil on canvas, 92.4 x 127.5 cm. Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut

José Clemente Orozco, The Franciscan (El Franciscano), 1929. Photo: Trustees of the British Museum

Antony Gormley, 'Untitled (for Francis)', 1985, Lead, fibreglass and plaster, 190 × 117 × 29 cm, Tate (T05004) © Antony Gormley / photo © Tate