Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation

Museum record 21907: Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation by El Greco. A verified entry point for discovery.

What to notice

For Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation (record 21907), start with modern, expressive, atmospheric. Compare the focal subject, edge treatment, and atmosphere before moving on.

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Saint Francis appears here surrounded by symbols associated with his sainthood. The book, for example, speaks to his devotional studies, and the skull is a reminder of the inevitability of death. The painting prompts the viewer to meditate upon the saint in the same way that he prays before the sculpture of Christ. At least a dozen other versions of this composition by El Greco exist, evidence of Francis’s tremendous popularity in Toledo, Spain, where he made his career. MyArtTaste includes museum record…