I don't know if Francis is always with animals, but that is still a valid point. :thup:
It's the simplicity of the robes which is very Francescan - there are no white under-bits, the rope/cord is un-knotted.
Again, I was watching a programme last night (pre-recorded) the one on the history of the fig-leaf in art - so there was a lot about the nudity of religious figures - nakedness was at one time meant to signify the inner beauty and purity through the depiction of outer beauty, and there were times the Catholic church was quite happy about it (as long as the male parts are miniscule - this was based on the ancient greek statues which had been found.)
Of course, there were other times Rome decided it wasn't suitable - a fabby statue of a naked jesus by Barbini in a wee church had it's bit knoced off by a friar who was unhappy about it. It is now draped in a bronze "bit of material".
I think there have been times when Michaelangeo's Adam in the Sistine chapel has been covered up, then uncovered again. There's a great big fig-leaf in the deep dark recesses of the V&A, designed specifically to cover up their copy of David.
"Sermon on the mount" is old testament, pre-monks and the catholic church.
I've never heard of St. Ansgar - something for me to find out, out of curiosity Anik, as it's somebody you know of - but there are an awful lot of them.
Sometimes the stories can be very interesting - from the point of view of totally whacky!
(I'm sure, when I was in Holland, I discovered somebody got sainted for bringing back to life children who had been boiled into soup - it might even have been santa!
And where, I ask, is the santa smilie when I
do actually want it?
?)
Are we getting off topic? I was thinking that if the image can be id'd, it might be a lead.