This museum art print is of an original oil paint on canvas work by stanley spencer now held in the tate collection the original was one of two paintings by spencer rejected by the royal academy in 1935st francis of assisi the founder of the franciscans is popularly remembered for being able to talk to birds and pray with them in this composition he is shown as an old man dressed in franciscan robes talking to birds on a farm stanley spencer told compilers of the catalogue for hi