Images of St. Francis from the Collection of Professor Franciszek Kusiak
24 January – 1 March 2026
Fot. W. Rogowicz
Curator of the exhibition: Joanna Kurbiel
Saint Francis of Assisi is the main protagonist of an exhibition organised to commemorate this year the 800th anniversary of his death. The exhibition showcases the collection assembled by Professor Franciszek Kusiak, a historian and lecturer at the University of Wrocław, who for many years has collected images of his patron Saint.
The interest in his namesake was instigated by the Professor’s mother, probably related to her pilgrimage to the Franciscan sanctuary in Leżajsk at the age of 16. Thus on his name day and also for Christmas, she presented the Professor with pictures showing images of St Francis. Later, as an adult, he started collecting depictions of the Saint.
The exhibition comprises images of the Saint, mainly in the form of devotional pictures, but also paintings, sculptures, commemorative medals, postage stamps, and even stained glass.
Also shown are paintings by Elżbieta Hałasa, an artist from Roztocze, along with the photographs taken by the collector himself in places of worship and museums in Europe, which document paintings of Saint Francis of Assisi by famous artists. The exhibition is accompanied by a special publication.