Medieval painting of St.Francis preaching to the Birds, Wissington, Suffolk

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St.Francis Preaching to the Birds, Wissington, Suffolk (‡St. Edmundsbury & Ipswich) C.13/14

Photo:T.Marshall St. Francis preaching to the birds, Wissington [35KB]

It is very faint now, but this is probably the earliest depiction of St.Francis of Assisi in the English church, quite possibly made at a date within fifty years of the saint’s death and canonization in the late 1220s. Francis is the standing figure furthest right, holding a staff - the seated figure reading a book beside him is probably Brother Leo. On the left is a tree with scrollwork-like branches and various birds perching in it, most of the them barely recognisable as birds now, although two on branches, one above the other on the left, can be made out. At the extreme left, a dog-like creature stands on its hind legs against the tree trunk.

I know of only two other paintings of St. Francis in the English medieval church and both are now on this site. One, at Slapton in Northamptonshire shows him receiving the Stigmata; in the other, at Little Kimble in Buckinghamshire, he is preaching to the birds, as here, but both these examples are from a later date. There are many other paintings at Wissington; St. Michael Weighing Souls, a very interesting Nativity/Annunciation to the Shepherds and Adoration/Dream of the Magi, Two Miracles of St. Nicholas, and scenes from a very battered Passion Cycle are all now on the site.

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St. Andrew Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland	St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read-Corby Glen, Lincolnshire	St. Antony and the Pig, Barton, Cambridgeshire	St. Barbara : Hessett, Suffolk	St. Bartholomew : Selling, Kent	St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Castor, Cambs	St Catherine of Alexandria, Cold Overton, Leicestershire *NEW*	St.Catherine of Alexandria : Hardley Street, Norfolk
St.Catherine of Alexandria : Old Weston, Northants	St.Catherine of Alexandria : Pickering, N. Yorks	St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Sporle, Norfolk	St. Catherine of Alexandria, Martyrdom of: Burton Latimer, Northants *NEW*	St. Catherine of Alexandria or another female saint : Ashley, Hampshire *NEW*	St. Clement : South Leigh, Oxon.	Scenes from the life of St. Cuthbert : Pittington, Co. Durham *NEW*	St. Dunstan holding the Devil by the nose : Barton, Cambs
St.Edmund : Boxford, Suffolk	St. Edmund : Lakenheath, Suffolk	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Bishopsbourne, Kent	St.Edmund, Martyrdom of : Fritton, Norfolk	St. Edmund (or St. Walstan) : Gisleham, Norfolk	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N.Yorks	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Stoke Dry, Rutland	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Troston, Suffolk
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Weare Giffard, Devon	St.Eloi, Broughton, Bucks	St. Eloi and the possessed horse, Slapton, Northants	St. Eloi, as bishop & blacksmith, Wensley, N.Yorks	St.Erasmus, Martyrdom of : Chippenham, Cambs	St. Etheldreda : Willingham, Cambs	St. Francis Preaching to the Birds : Little Kimble, Bucks	St.Francis Preaching to the Birds : Wissington, Suffolk
St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Slapton, Northants	St. George & Dragon : Banningham, Norfolk	St. George & Dragon : Broughton, Bucks	St. George & Dragon : Earl Stonham, Suffolk	St. George & Dragon : Fritton, Norfolk	St. George & Dragon : Hornton, Oxon	St. George dedicating himself to the Virgin : Astbury, Cheshire	St. George, with the princess : Little Kimble, Bucks
St. George & the Dragon : Kirtlington, Oxon *NEW*	St.Helena, Broughton, Bucks	St.James the Great : Hales, Norfolk	Life of St. James, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire	St. James the Great, meeting pilgrims : Wisborough Green, Sussex	St. James the Great, Yelden (or Yielden), Beds *NEW*	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Heydon, Norfolk
St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Idsworth, Hampshire	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Old Weston, Northants	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N. Yorks	Life of St. John the Baptist : Cerne Abbas, Dorset	St. John the Evangelist, Selling, Kent	St. John the Evangelist, Weston Longville, Norfolk	St. Margaret of Antioch : Old Weston, Northants	St. Margaret and the dragon : South Newington, Oxfordshire
St. Margaret of Antioch Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland	St. Margaret of Antioch, Life of : Charlwood, Surrey	Life of St. Margaret, Wendens Ambo, Essex	Martyrdom of St. Margaret, Duxford, Cambridgeshire	Martyrdom of St. Margaret, Ashby St Ledgers, Northamptonshire *NEW*	St. Martin dividing his cloak, Chalgrave, Beds	St. Martin dividing his cloak, Wareham, Dorset	St Michael, with kneeling donor, South Newington, Oxfordshire
St.Nicholas of Myra, life of : Little Horwood, Bucks
St. Nicholas of Myra, two miracles of : Wissington, Suffolk	St. Nicholas of Myra & the Boys in the Barrel, Padworth, Berkshire	St. Nicholas of Myra & the Boys in the barrel, Bishopsbourne, Kent *NEW*	St.Paul : Black Bourton, Oxon	St. Paul : Beckley, Oxon	St. Paul : Selling, Kent	St. Peter : Beckley, Oxon
St.Peter : Black Bourton, Oxon	St. Peter, Martyrdom of : Chacombe, Northants	St. Peter : Selling, Kent	SS. Peter & Paul, Old Idsworth, Hampshire *NEW*	St. Roch : Pinvin, Worcs	St. Sexburga? : Willingham, Cambs	S. Stephen, Martyrdom of, North Stoke, Oxon	St. Stephen, Stoning of: Black Bourton, Oxon
St. Stephen, Stoning of: Catfield, Norfolk	St.Swithun (?) enthroned : Old Weston, Northants	Scenes from the life of St. Swithun : Corhampton, Hampshire	St. Thomas Becket, blessing, Hauxton, Cambs.	Archbishop, possibly Thomas Becket, blessing, Shorthampton, Oxfordshire *NEW*	St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, Marston Magna, Somerset	St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, North Stoke, Oxfordshire	St.Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Burlingham, Norfolk
St. Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Newington, Oxfordshire	St. Walstan of Bawburgh? or St. Edmund : Gisleham, Norfolk	St. Zita : Horley, Oxon	St. Zita : Shorthampton, Oxon	Unidentified female saint : Heydon