Description
The Renunciation of Worldly Goods occupies the upper register of the left wall of the Bardi Chapel and forms the first episode of the interior cycle devoted to Saint Francis. Giotto represents the moment when Francis publicly breaks with family wealth and returns even his clothes to his father, thereby declaring his absolute commitment to God. The composition is organized into two opposing groups. On the left stand Francis's father and representatives of the secular world, while on the right the saint is protected by the bishop and accompanied by ecclesiastical figures.
The open space between them transforms physical separation into a visible image of spiritual and social rupture. Francis appears almost naked, partly covered by the bishop's mantle. The divine hand appears above, blessing Francis.
