The sculpture by Pedro de Mena renders Saint Francis of Assisi in meditation, holding a crucifix in his left hand. The work can be dated to the late 1670s or early 1680s.

The saint stands on a wooden base, wearing his Franciscan habit. Its humble material and simple appearance are reproduced through a technique of short, almost dotted lines and agitated brushstrokes painted in light tones on a dark brown background. De Mena achieved an even greater sense of realism through the use of glass eyes. He devised the figure with a restless internal movement that is amplified by the forward position of the saint’s right foot.

Malgorzata Nowara, Gilles Zeimet