St. Francis Kneeling before Christ on the Cross

Also known as: St. Francis before the Crucifix

About the Artwork

Because of his simplicity, piety, and devotion to all living creatures, Saint Francis (1181–1226) has remained among the most revered and popular saints. Born to wealthy parents in Assisi, he first lived a life of spendthrift luxury. However, Francis later gave up all worldly goods and embraced an existence of utter poverty. Throughout his adult life, the saint experienced mystical trances and visions of Christ. Atop the cross here is a leafy tree and a nest of pelicans. Fifteenth-century viewers would have recognized the tree as a reference to the cross, which is often described as a tree, symbolizing Christ's role as the source of eternal life. The pelican, shown nourishing its young with its own blood, symbolizes Christ, who sacrifices himself for the salvation of mankind. This painting was the center pinnacle on the back of a double-sided altarpiece made for the church of San Francesco in Borgo Sansepolcro (near Arezzo).

Provenance

S. Francesco, Borgo Sansepolcro (broken up c. 1578); Prince Johann Georg of Saxony (by 1936); Gerhard Freiherr von Preuschen, Stuttgart (1950); (P. Drey, New York)

Exhibition history

Year in Review - 1962. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 24-November 25, 1962). Gothic Art 1360-1440. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 6-September 15, 1963). The Caporali Missal: A Masterpiece of Renaissance Illumination. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-June 2, 2013).

Quick Overview

Artist: Sassetta (Italian, 1392–1450)
Date: 1437–1444
Medium: tempera and gold on wood
Dimensions: Framed: 91 x 46.5 x 4.5 cm (35 13/16 x 18 5/16 x 1 3/4 in.); Unframed: 81 x 40.2 cm (31 7/8 x 15 13/16 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Medieval Art
Credit line: Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession no.: 1962.36

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.