GIOTTO di Bondone
(b. 1267, Vespignano, d. 1337, Firenze)

Scenes from the Life of St Francis: 3. Apparition at Arles

1325-28
Fresco, 280 x 450 cm
Bardi Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence

This scene is situated at the middle register on the wall left to the entrance of the chapel.

During a sermon delivered by the Franciscan brother Augustine, St. Francis appeared in support of his words. He blesses the monks and so strengthens them in their faith. The architecture is completely free of Gothic decoration, making the vividness of the faces is all the more striking.