An important new study of the way in which St Francis's image was recorded in literature, documents, architecture and art. St Francis was a man whose personality was deliberately stamped on his Order and Rosalind Brooke explores how the stories told by Francis's companions were at once brilliantly vivid portrayals of the man as well as guides to how the Franciscan way of life ought to be led. She also examines how after St Francis's death a great monument was erected to him in the Basilica at Assisi and how this came to reflect in stone and stained glass and fresco the manner in which some Popes and leading friars believed his memory should be fostered. Highly illustrated throughout, including colour and black and white plates, this book will be essential reading for medievalists and art historians as well as anyone interested in St Francis and the Franciscan movement.

A reappraisal of the image of St Francis as it was recorded in literature, documents, architecture and art.

About the Author
Dr Rosalind Brooke is a senior member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. Her publications include The Coming of the Friars (1975) and Popular Religion in the Middle Ages (with C. N. L. Brooke, 1984).

Reviews
' ... superb, beautifully illustrated and altogether peerless ...what deserves to rank as one of the classic texts of Franciscan scholarship, not just of the twenty-first but to any other century.' Tablet
'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. ... For the specialist in Franciscan studies, The Image of St Francis is a goldmine, a tremendously impressive collection of material, presented with consummate scholarship, and many will be grateful for Brooke's efforts.' Visual Resources



Book Information
ISBN 9780521782913
Author Rosalind B. Brooke
Format Hardback
Page Count 540
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 1490g
Dimensions(mm) 251mm * 195mm * 25mm