The Iconography of St. Francis during the 17th and the 18th Century

The diploma thesis deals with the iconography of selected works of St. Francis in the 17th and 18th centuries in Bohemia. The work is focused mainly on the paintings that were created and were associated with the development of begging orders during the Reformation of the Church. The first part is devoted to the life and legend of St. Francis, which is the basis for the subsequent processing of individual images. An integral part of the work is also the topic of the origin and development of the begging orders that caused the depiction of St. Francis. Specifically, Franciscans, Minorites and Capuchins. An important chapter is also the piety of the Czech lands in the Baroque period, which demonstrates the revival of the veneration of St. Francis during the 17th and 18th centuries in Bohemia. All the above-mentioned parts provide the basis for the following chapters on specific illustrations. The iconography of the individual scenes is first described in a general depiction, including the world's most important examples. A large part of the work is devoted to individual works associated with the Czech environment. The most represented depictions are Stigmatization of St. Francis, Ecstasy, The Porciunculus Miracle or his Death. Last but not least, the work will focus on the monastery lunette cycles..