Giotto, The Miracle of the Spring, c. 1300

Fourteenth in Giotto's fresco series in the Upper Church of St. Francis, The Miracle of the Spring tells of St. Francis's journey to the monastery of Monte la Verna. Accompanied by two Franciscans, a peasant (kneeling), and his donkey, the journeyers become parched on this obscenely hot day. Tormented by this thirst, the peasant pleads for water. St. Francis prays fervently to God, and water comes bubbling out of the rocks in answer. In relief the peasant collapses at the spring, thanking St. Francis for his prayers.

Giotto's fresco clearly exhibits this tale with St. Francis's position as the center of the descending mountains in the background. Giotto illustrates light on the right-hand mountain to emphasize the godly status of St. Francis as a result of ministering to the poor. Moreover, as the eye trails towards the lower left corner of the fresco, Giotto creates emotion through the Franciscans glances on the scene, which suggests Giotto's admiration of the saint's humble actions to reflect the beauty of Franciscan lifestyles and ideologies. Lastly, Giotto juxtaposes the light with the darker mountain on the left and the suggested lines that lead to the peasant quenching his thirty. Giotto utilizes this contrast to suggest that St. Francis has not only restored the peasant's physical health, but has also satisfied the peasant's spiritual refreshment and enlightenment from his spiritual darkness.

When studying this painting and Franciscan lifestyle, I was astonished by how advanced some of St. Francis's ideals were. While followers strive to cultivate the founder's beliefs, they must emulate St. Francis's spirit through teachings, social service, and charity. Most emphasized in St. Francis's writing of this lifestyle was the respect of other's beliefs and St. Francis's request for his followers to reflect that admiration for others through humbleness. Giotto stresses the significance of the spring and spiritual refreshment to complement the Franciscan way of life.

While we're now in the twenty-first century, I think it's important to look back on this idea of spiritual refreshment and humbleness. I admire Giotto and St. Francis for encompassing perspective through their works. Looking at this piece, I reflect on times of stress and stubbornness that seem to have overtaken the past few months as my classmates and I apply to colleges, juggle after-school activities, and try to maintain a social life. Acknowledging the originality of these men's ideas, I blur out the chaos in the background in hopes find some sort of refreshment that I can carry out in the months ahead of me.