St Francis is held by angel Gentileschi

Español

Orazio Gentileschi, Saint Francis Supported by an Angel, c. 1607–1610

Saint Francis Supported by an Angel (c. 1607–1610) by Orazio Gentileschi depicts the saint at the height of mystical suffering, held tenderly in the arms of an angel. According to the inscription once on the canvas, the painting was likely created for the Oratory of San Girolamo alla Carità in Rome, founded by the priest and composer Orazio Griffi, a companion of Saint Philip Neri. Like Griffi’s devotional music, the painting reflects a spirit of contemplation and interior conversion, intended to encourage prayer and meditative reflection among the faithful.

Francis is not shown in ecstatic rapture, but in a moment of profound physical and spiritual exhaustion, reliving the Passion of Christ. His swoon recalls late 16th-century depictions of Christ in the Agony in the Garden, where the divine figure collapses into the supporting arms of an angel. The stigmata, the wound on his side, and the traces of weariness on his body emphasize his imitation of Christ’s suffering. The angel does not transport him toward heaven, but steadies and shelters him, suggesting intimacy, compassion, and divine consolation.

Orazio Gentileschi’s stylistic encounter with Caravaggio is clearly felt here, but expressed with restraint. Rather than adopting Caravaggio’s sharp contrasts and dramatic darkness, Gentileschi selects the clear, transparent light characteristic of Caravaggio’s earlier works. The scene is illuminated softly, with figures rendered in quiet realism rather than theatrical force. The result is a painting of intense spiritual quiet, where suffering is transformed into gentle surrender, and divine presence appears not in glory, but in tenderness. 

Get this image now on sale

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome