The Ecstasy of St Francis and St Clare of Assisi

This anonymous oil painting (c. 1650) from the Quito School belongs to a cycle on the life of St Francis but unusually includes St Clare. Both kneel in ecstatic prayer before the Eucharist, while armed figures and turmoil appear in the background. Clare, founder of the Second Franciscan Order, later received attributes such as the monstrance, mitred staff, and lily, highlighting her authority as a model of radical poverty and purity.