Icon of St. Francis Altarpiece Saint Francis is often pictured in bare feet, as we see in this painting. This is more than just a nice pastoral way of presenting his love for creation. What Francis knew and lived was that matter is the hiding place for spirit. Hidden in creation, the spirit is always offering itself to be discovered again. Francis knew that the beyond was not really beyond in the sense of 'out there', 'up there', 'after death', but hidden in the depths of her