H69.223.2

c. 1800
11.75 in HIGH x 4.5 in WIDE x 4.5 in DEEP
(29.84 cm HIGH x 11.43 cm WIDE x 11.43 cm DEEP)
Museum Purchase
H69.223.2


Santo. Description: St. Francis; hands broken off; left sleve broken off. History: Spanish From the History Information Station Object: Statue of St. Francis of Assisi made circa 1800 of carved and painted wood. History: St. Francis (circa 1181-1226) is the founder of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), or Franciscans. The founding of this Order represented a renewal of the Christian spirit in the late Middle Ages. Living as itinerant preachers, the Franciscans refused to accept money and possessed no permanent residence, begging for food when they could not earn it with their labor. St. Francis saw all creatures as his brothers and sisters, as he believed they were all revelations of the richness of God. There are many popular stories relating Francis' relationship with animals. Wild animals are said to become tame in his presence, even to obey him. Museum Purchase A Saintly Subject In the Spanish colonies, the Catholic Church provided a formal structure for daily life, thought, and actions. Paintings (retablos) and statues (bultos) with religious themes played an important part in the transmission of the Church's traditions and teachings. Collectively known as santos, they were used to instill a reverence for the important Church personages and to encourage active observance of the holy days. Each holy personage has its own unique efficacy in one or more areas of life, and the "meaning" of each is universal in the Catholic world. The painters and carvers follow a specific iconography, making each saint or holy person easily identifiable by what they wear and carry. Small retablos are for use at home. Each image embodies the spiritual virtues of the personage portrayed, reminds the worshipper of those virtues, and is a focus for prayer. They were commissioned or purchased from peddlers who offered them door to door or sold them in stands. The devout place them on home altars and appeal to them for remedies to aliments and problems of every kind.

Used: St. Francis | Spanish

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