The artwork entitled “St. Francis Preaching to the Birds” was created by the artist M.C. Escher in the year 1922. This work, which can be categorized under the religious painting genre, incorporates elements of Surrealism, a movement known for its exploration of the unconscious, the bizarre, and the irregular. Escher’s piece depicts a scene inspired by the story of St. Francis of Assisi, renowned for his sermons to animals as an expression of unity between mankind and nature.
The artwork captures a serene moment in which St. Francis stands, addressing a congregation of various birds. His demeanor is one of calm and persuasion, embodied in his gentle gestures and the halo that encircles his head, symbolizing his saintly nature. Surrounding him is an assortment of birds, each rendered with careful attention to detail, hinting at Escher’s keen observation of nature’s forms. The birds seem attentive to St. Francis’s speech, with some perched upon the branches while others float in the space around him. Noteworthy is the stark contrast of the black and white tones, a characteristic feature of a woodcut, which adds a dramatic intensity to the scene and emphasizes the patterns and textures in both the figure of St. Francis and the plumage of the birds. The interplay of light and shadow, alongside the positioning of the figures within the composition, invokes a sense of depth and movement, inviting the viewer to ponder the spiritual dialogue between man and nature that Escher has so meticulously illustrated.