You’ve likely seen her in a quiet corner of a cathedral or on a prayer card tucked into a grandparent’s Bible. A woman in a dark habit, eyes often turned toward a golden monstrance she holds like a shield. But if you look closely at the actual pictures of St Clare of Assisi—the ones painted by people who lived just a generation or two after her—you start to see a much more complicated, almost gritty story.
Most people think of Clare as just a "sidekick" to St. Francis. Honestly, the art says otherwise.
The Woman Behind the Halo
St. Clare wasn't born into the "poverty" she’s famous for. She was Chiara Offreduccio, the daughter of a wealthy Count in Assisi. When we look at early Renaissance frescoes, like the ones by Simone Martini in the Lower Basilica of San Francesco, her features are often portrayed with a certain noble gravity.
Martini’s work from around 1320 is basically the "gold standard" for what she might have looked like. It’s a fresco, meaning it was painted directly into wet plaster. He gives her these very long, delicate fingers and a face that feels peaceful but incredibly firm. It’s not the face of someone who just followed a trend; it’s the face of a woman who ran away from a rich inheritance in the middle of the night to sleep on a floor.
Short sentences help here. She was tough. Really tough.
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Why the Monstrance?
If you search for pictures of St Clare of Assisi, the most common thing you’ll see is her holding a monstrance (that ornate sun-shaped vessel used to display the Eucharist).
Here’s the real story behind that image. In 1240, Frederick II’s army—specifically Saracen mercenaries—was laid siege to Assisi. They were literally scaling the walls of her convent, San Damiano. Clare was sick, but she didn’t hide. She had the sisters carry her to the gate, and she held up the Blessed Sacrament.
The historical accounts (and the paintings that followed) claim the soldiers were so "dazzled" or struck with such sudden dread that they retreated.
- The Master of Heiligenkreuz painted a famous version of her death (around 1400) that shows a similar spiritual intensity.
- Juan de Borgoña later painted her with a much more "Renaissance" feel, emphasizing her status as an abbess.
- Early woodcuts from Germany often omit the monstrance and focus on a simple lamp or a lily.
Giotto and the Grief of Assisi
You can’t talk about Clare in art without mentioning Giotto di Bondone. In the Upper Basilica in Assisi, there is a fresco titled St. Francis Mourned by St. Clare.
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It is heartbreaking.
Giotto was a pioneer because he actually showed human emotion. Before him, saints in pictures looked like flat, golden stickers. In this fresco, Clare is leaning over Francis’s body. You can see the tension in her shoulders. Her face is etched with a very specific kind of grief. It’s raw. It reminds you that these were real people who had a deep, platonic, spiritual love for one another.
Spotting the Symbols
When you're browsing through galleries or old churches, you can identify Clare by a few specific "clues" artists left behind:
- The Knotted Cord: She wears the Franciscan three-knotted cord representing poverty, chastity, and obedience.
- The Bare Feet: Often hidden under her habit, but in many early panels, she’s depicted without shoes to show her commitment to the "Poor Ladies" lifestyle.
- The Palm Branch: Sometimes she holds a palm, referencing the Palm Sunday when she left her family.
- The Book: This represents the "Rule" she wrote—she was actually the first woman to write a set of monastic guidelines that were officially approved by the Pope.
The Problem with "Modern" Pictures
Kinda weirdly, as time went on, Clare started looking more and more like a "generic nun" in art. In the 17th century, artists like Peter Paul Rubens gave her a more dramatic, Baroque flair.
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The 2026 perspective on this is interesting. We’re seeing a return to the "primitive" style. People are tired of the airbrushed, perfect-looking saints of the 19th-century holy cards. They want the Simone Martini version. They want the grit.
Actionable Insights for Art Lovers
If you want to actually see these works or find authentic reproductions, here’s what you should do:
- Check the "Tavola di Santa Chiara": This is an altarpiece from 1280 in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Assisi. It’s one of the oldest and most "accurate" visual biographies of her life.
- Look for "Master of the Saint Clare Legend": This is an anonymous artist whose work is scattered across European museums. The style is late Gothic and very detailed.
- Visit the Met Cloisters: They house a 14th-century panel from Nuremberg that shows Clare receiving a palm from the Bishop. It’s a rare look at how her story spread outside of Italy.
- Verify the Attribute: If the woman in the painting is holding a monstrance but wearing a black habit with a white "wimple" (the neck covering), it’s almost certainly Clare. If she’s holding a rose, it’s likely St. Therese.
Understanding these images isn't just about art history; it's about seeing how a woman's radical choice in 1212 turned into a visual icon that has survived over 800 years. Whether it's a faded fresco in Umbria or a digital print on Etsy, the "pictures of St Clare of Assisi" continue to represent a very specific kind of quiet, fierce strength.
To get the most out of your research, start by comparing a 13th-century Byzantine-style icon of Clare with a 17th-century Spanish oil painting. The shift from "symbol" to "human being" in the brushwork tells the story of how our own view of spirituality changed over the centuries.