Saint Francis in Meditation
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Saint Francis in MeditationSaint Francis in Meditation
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Saint Francis in MeditationCaravaggio

668
This painting (c. 1606) shows Francis of Assisi absorbed in prayer, his hands resting on a skull beside scripture. The saint embodies humility and reflection on death, central to Franciscan devotion. Caravaggio strips away ornament, using shadow and raw naturalism to evoke solitude and mortality. The image becomes a meditation on faith, fragility, and the passage to eternity.