Description

San Damiano Crucifix, silkscreen print embellished with hot gold stamped on wood.

The Crucifix of San Damiano It is the cross-shaped icon before which Francis of Assisi was praying in 1205, when he received the Lord's request to repair his house. The original cross currently hangs in the Basilica of Saint Clare in Assisi. The Franciscans cherish this cross as a symbol of their God-given mission. The cross is considered an icon because it contains images of people who participate in the meaning of the cross itself.

Jesus is depicted simultaneously wounded and strong. He is not dead; he stands upright and resolute. We are faced with the iconography of Christus triumphans (who triumphs over death), and his halo already includes the image of the glorified cross. The bright color of his body contrasts with the dark red and black surrounding it, accentuating Jesus' importance. While Christ is depicted at his full height, all the other figures are depicted as dwarfed. Above his head is the Latin inscription (titulus crucis) with abbreviations (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).