Dating from about 1480, Bellini's St. Francis comes from a moment in history painting the natural world was novel and when oil painting was new to Italy.In the immediate past, the artists of the world were occupied with depicting Christian events and Christian saints. But in the middle ages, especially with St. Francis, the natural world became a Christian character, too, since it aids in worship, too.
In the past, the technology available to artists was limited to colors less intense and palettes less extensive. In Bellini's hands, the new oil medium gave vibrant, almost enameled color that set forth beautifully the details of nature.
