
Wikimedia Commons • Public Domain
This painting by Giotto di Bondone fresco around 1300 as part of the Legend of St. Francis cycle in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. The scene merges two simultaneous events at Francis's death: Friar Agostino sees the saint's soul ascending and cries out, while Bishop Guido of Arezzo dreams of Francis saying "I leave the world and ascend to heaven."
The fresco measures approximately 270 by 230 centimeters and shows Giotto's characteristic blend of emotional expressiveness and spatial clarity. On the left, friars gather around the dying Agostino. On the right, the sleeping bishop receives his vision. Both episodes derive from Bonaventura's Legenda Maior, the official biography of Francis.
The work remains in its original location at the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Recent scholarship has questioned whether Giotto actually painted all 28 scenes in the cycle, with some attributing portions to Pietro Cavallini or workshop assistants. Regardless of exact attribution, the cycle stands as a landmark in the development of Proto-Renaissance painting.

Giotto di Bondone
Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Assisi

Giotto di Bondone
Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Assisi

Giotto di Bondone
Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Assisi

Giotto di Bondone
Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Assisi
Other masterpieces from the Renaissance movement

Raphael, 1512
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Dresden

Sandro Botticelli, 1485
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Raphael, 1511
Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Raphael, 1510
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Titian, 1538
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Titian, 1555
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

El Greco, 1614
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Sandro Botticelli, 1482
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence
Luxury wall art with the same mood and energy. Gallery-quality canvas, no museum crowds.
Browse Collection