Saint Francis Cutting Clare of Assisi's Hair
1787 - 1789. Oil on canvas.On display elsewhere
Set in a chapel with a carpeted altar, the scene depicts Saint Clare´s profession as a nun, which marked the founding of the female branch of the Order of Saint Francis, also known as the Clarists. Various friars and women witness the successful event and accompany it with lit votive candles that bring out the passage´s nocturnal character and concentrate the light on their white faces.