Stigmatization by Van Eyck

 

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Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Jan van Eyck, c. 1430–1432

This painting depicts the moment described by Tommaso da Celano in his early biography of Saint Francis, recounting the saint’s reception of the stigmata on Mount La Verna. According to the text, Francis encountered a vision of Christ veiled in the six wings of a seraph. The divine apparition marked him with the wounds of the Crucifixion, sealing his spiritual conformity to Christ. Jan van Eyck’s interpretation of this mystical event is both precise in its physical detail and deeply evocative in its spiritual intensity, characteristic of his refined technique and luminous oil painting style.

In the scene, Saint Francis kneels before the radiant seraphic figure of Christ, who appears suspended in the air with outstretched, flaming wings. Francis raises his arms toward his chest, visibly displaying the wounds newly impressed upon his hands. The stigmata are also present on his feet, subtly emphasized by van Eyck’s meticulous attention to surface and texture. His face reflects awe, devotion, and a quiet readiness to embrace the suffering that accompanies divine union.

Nearby, Brother Leo, the saint’s companion, lies asleep on a rock and remains unaware of the miracle unfolding before him. This detail, introduced by van Eyck, underscores the intimate and interior nature of Francis’s mystical experience. The rocky slopes of Mount La Verna stretch behind them, and in the distance, the artist includes a delicately rendered medieval Flemish city nestled within a valley, merging sacred geography with the familiar landscapes of the painter’s own world.

A nearly identical version of this composition is preserved in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, recognized as an autograph replica. It is believed that the two paintings correspond to those mentioned in the 1470 will of Anselm Adornes, a Flemish-Genoese merchant, who left a van Eyck Saint Francis panel to each of his daughters. The work offers not only a devotional image but also a testament to the artist’s influence and the international circulation of his oeuvre.

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