Saint Francis before the Sultan

Saint Francis of Assisi, eager to defend his faith through martyrdom, went to Syria to preach to its Muslim population around 1219, at the time of the Fifth Crusade (one of a series of invasions of Muslim countries by Christian armies attempting to recapture the Holy Land). He was captured and taken before Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil, who was defending Damietta from the Christian forces. He attempted to convert the Sultan to Christianity, offering to go through fire for his faith. The Sultan politely declined and sent Francis back to the Christian army.

This painting comes from the San Sepolcro Altarpiece, a large and complex altarpiece painted for the Franciscans of Borgo San Sepolcro. The back of the altarpiece depicted Saint Francis in Glory surrounded by eight scenes from his life, seven of which are in the National Gallery’s collection. This panel was next to The Wolf of Gubbio: Franciscan writers treated the two stories together as examples of Francis’s preaching and peacemaking.

Text: © The National Gallery, London

Painting photographed in its frame by Google Arts and Culture, 2023.