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1882

oa What are those bears doing there? On a painting from early Italian art

image of What are those bears doing there? On a painting from early Italian art
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The monumental , which belongs to early Italian art (1250-1400), has seen a lot of discussions about its date and attribution. One part of it shows the culmination of the life of St Francis - his stigmatisation. Until now, however, one meaningful detail in this painting has been overlooked - two adult bears and a cub that is, as yet, a shapeless lump in the grotto. It was first mentioned by Ovid that the mother bear licks its young into bear-shape. In medieval times, this licking by the mother symbolised how Christ converted the gentiles.

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