Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds (Louvre)

One of three small scenes from the predella - the base - of Giotto's Stigmatization of Saint Francis, this panel retells a favorite episode of the saint's legend: traveling with a companion, Francis stops to preach to the birds, which flock to his feet rather than scatter, as if his sermon embraced all living things. Compressed into a narrow field, the story loses none of its directness; the saint bends toward the birds, hand raised, and they answer his attention. Even at miniature scale, Giotto keeps the plain, grounded conviction that set Western painting on a new path.