H. Franciscus van Assissi 1651 - 1652

Curator: Immediately striking, isn't it? A certain gravity, despite the delicate medium. Editor: Oh, absolutely. It’s arresting—a still, small space teeming with... what? Melancholy? Serenity? Curator: Both, I think, inhabit this piece. What we’re looking at is “H. Franciscus van Assissi,” an engraving done sometime between 1651 and 1652 by Lucas (II) Vorsterman, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The Baroque period shines through. What symbols or images resonate for you? Editor: The most immediate, of course, is the skull cradled in Francis's hands. Vanitas, reminding us of mortality... It speaks of brevity, the transient nature of existence, especially when contrasted with the spiritual weight of the cross against his chest. This tension between earth and eternity seems key. Curator: I agree; I feel a dance between humility and devotion, too. Look at the use of chiaroscuro – the light carving out the figure from shadow. Vorsterman uses this darkness to emphasize the saint's inner reflection, and, literally, bring the symbolic skull into stark relief! Does it perhaps point us to Francis' dedication to a life beyond material possessions, embracing a life for others rather than himself? Editor: Precisely. The shadowed background does isolate him in a spiritual space, which underlines his focus on the skull’s lesson. And the book casually placed under his left elbow further emphasizes the contemplative nature of his solitude. But, tell me... Francis is a well-trod image through art history, what feelings and creative choices do you get looking closely at Lucas's particular representation of this religious iconography? Curator: Vorsterman, I believe, steers clear of overt sentimentality. His Francis is deeply human, caught between tangible and intangible worlds. A truly fascinating feat in engraved strokes! And you? Do you find a deeper understanding having really spent some time here? Editor: Most definitely. What started as arresting simplicity reveals layers of complexity—a constant, echoing meditation on life, death, and faith. And what is our existence, if not those constant reminders echoing to us on the most daily and monumental scales?