The linear structure of narrative figures in the Saint Francis Cycle: a linguistic analysis

Abstract

This study examines the linear order of the narrative figures that appear in the frescoes of the Cycle of Saint Francis in the Upper Church of the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, Italy (1288–1297). This linguistic analysis of the visual-pictorial modality explores the distribution of thematic and discourse roles as an authorly tool to express meaning. Findings include that the linear order of figures in the frescoes is patterned according to semantic principles and has been used here to convey particular relations, roles and other semantic information. Findings of this analysis can be fruitful both for the field of Art History and that of Linguistics, by offering insights into the potential application of linguistic patterning in narrative imagery, into the functions of artworks in this period, and how they combine their aesthetic, theological and communicative functions. The interdisciplinary methodology proposed here pioneers a new field of academic inquiry, for which future directives are provided.