Saint Frances Of Rome And The Angel – Oil On Canvas, 17th Century

Oil on canvas depicting Saint Frances of Rome accompanied by her guardian angel; the saint is holding an open book bearing a Latin inscription.

An Italian religious painting, likely from the 17th century. An old label on the reverse identifies the subject as “Saint Frances of Rome” and mentions Rome as well as the date 1600.

The work shows signs of past restoration and visible wear consistent with its age. It is set in an antique gilded wooden frame.

Dimensions with frame: 78 × 59 cm.

The Latin text

On the book, I can make out the following, despite the abbreviations and some difficult letters:

“Tenuisti manum dextram meam et cum gloria suscepisti me.”

This is a passage from Psalm 72 (73), verses 23–24, of the Vulgate. The translation can be rendered as follows:

“You have held my right hand and received me in glory.”

This is particularly consistent with the painting’s iconography: the saint is accompanied by the angel who, according to the tradition associated with Saint Frances of Rome (1384–1440), appeared to her and accompanied her.