Stigmatization of St Francis by Rubens 1616

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Stigmatization of Saint Francis – Peter Paul Rubens, 1616

This work was originally commissioned for the main altar of the Capuchin Church in Cologne, Germany. Its tall format suggests that it was likely a panel from an altarpiece, a feature of Italian origin that was adopted for altars north of the Alps, particularly during the Baroque period. The altarpiece style emphasizes the figure of Saint Francis, positioning him as the spiritual and visual focal point of the composition.

Rubens executed this painting shortly after completing his work on the altarpieces of Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier for the altars of a Jesuit church in Antwerp. The painting is distinguished by a dark and sepia palette, lending a dramatic and solemn tone to the scene of Saint Francis’s stigmatization, heightening the spiritual intensity and emotional impact of the moment.