Saint Francis of Assisi, Cook Triptych

Grão Vasco's Saint Francis of Assisi from the Cook Triptych pairs with his Saint Anthony panel in this important altarpiece, presenting two of Portugal's most beloved Franciscan saints. Vasco Fernandes's treatment of Saint Francis shows the stigmatized founder of the Franciscan order in the moment of ecstatic prayer, his characteristic brown habit and the marks of the stigmata giving him the ascetic authority that his order's widespread presence in Portugal demanded. The work's expressive power and the saint's individualized physiognomy demonstrate why Grão Vasco was considered the greatest Portuguese painter of his generation.

The figure of the Franciscan saint displays Grão Vasco's powerful, expressive style. The robust characterization distinguishes his work from the more refined Flemish models that influenced Portuguese painting.