The Image Of St Francis: Responses To Sainthood In The Thirteenth Century

摘要

In an exemplary interdisciplinary study, Rosalind B. Brooke weaves together the evidence of history, legend, text, and picture to create a highly readable survey of the many ways in which Saint Francis was "imaged" in the thirteenth century. For those interested in the multiple roles of visual imagery in creating, disseminating, and sustaining attitudes or ideas within a society, this is a fascinating book. The historic person of Saint Francis (1182-1226) was the basis for one of the most important "images" of late medieval Europe; his influence is still felt today. How this image was documented, promoted, modified, and reinterpreted is Brooke's topic. Although Brooke's wide-ranging study focuses on verbal as well as visual images of Francis, this review will focus on the visual material, which is probably of most interest to readers of Visual Resources.