POVERELLO. Saint Francis of Assisi

The Poor Man of Assisi in Warsaw, on a scale never seen before.

On the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, the Muzeum Archidiecezji Warszawskiej opens the exhibition „Poverello”. Yet it is more than a religious story about the saint. It is an encounter with Francis told through art, addressed above all to lovers and enthusiasts of painting, sculpture and graphic art. The curators have brought together such a large and varied group of outstanding artists that „Poverello” has the chance to become one of the most important artistic events of the season, whether the visitor seeks spiritual reflection or simply wants to see in one place works by the finest Polish artists of several epochs.

About the exhibition

The exhibition features works by Jan Matejko, Józef Chełmoński, Jan Stanisławski, Jacek Malczewski, Antoni Rząsa, Tadeusz Boruta, Jan Szczepkowski, Antoni Michalak, Jerzy Tchórzewski, Wiesław Szamborski, Józef Wilkoń and many other artists representing very different sensibilities, techniques and epochs, from academic painting and Young Poland symbolism, through postwar art, to contemporary interpretations. This diversity, the juxtaposition of nineteenth-century realism with postwar expressionism and contemporary illustration, shows how many artists over the centuries have grappled with the figure of Francis, each in their own way.

The exhibition tells of the atmosphere of Assisi that shaped the consciousness of the young Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, of discovering a vocation and choosing a path in life, of the love of all creation that accompanied Francis throughout his life, of devotion to one's fellow human beings and love of poverty, and finally of the events and miracles of his life and of the transitus, the passage from this world to eternity. All of this is presented in the language of art: through paintings, sculptures, prints, objects of applied art, medals, textiles and photographs from seven centuries, from the 13th to the 21st century.

Key objects

Among the most important exhibits will be a alms box from around 1400 from the collection of the Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, as well as 13th-century ducats. Among the rarely shown works is „St Francis” by Antoni Rząsa, which is normally displayed almost exclusively in Zakopane. A special place is occupied by Tadeusz Boruta's cycle „St Francis Places Himself under the Protection of the Church”, represented by three or four canvases, as well as „Stigmatisation” by Antoni Michalak and the painting „St Francis” by Jacek Malczewski from 1908.

Where the exhibits come from

The exhibits come from more than twenty museum and monastic collections across Poland, including the Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie, Muzeum Narodowe w Kielcach, Muzeum Narodowe we Wrocławiu, Zamek Królewski na Wawelu, Muzeum Śląska Opolskiego, Muzeum Mazowieckie w Płocku, Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu, Muzeum Uniwersyteckie w Toruniu, Muzeum Śląskie w Katowicach and the Muzeum Akademii Sztuk Pięknych w Warszawie, as well as from the collections of Franciscan monasteries, including the Klasztor św. Franciszka in Kraków and the Franciscan monastery in Gdynia, and from numerous private collections. The Muzeum Archidiecezji Warszawskiej also contributes from its own collection. The exhibition is under the honorary patronage of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw.

The exhibition „Poverello. Saint Francis of Assisi” under the honorary patronage of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw Adrian Galbas SAC.

Exhibition POVERELLO. Święty Franciszek z Asyżu

2.10.2026–10.01.2027

Curators: Roksana Gawrońska, o. Andrzej Zając OFMConv Exhibition design: Sonia Graban

The partner of the exhibition is the fabric wholesaler „Alexis”

MEDIA PARTNERS OF THE EXHIBITION

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Lectures accompanying the exhibition “Poverello. Św. Franciszek z Asyżu”

1. 06.10.2026 | Tue., 17:30 | Saint Francis in medieval hagiography and in the…