Madonna offering the Christ Child to Saint Francis by Pietro da Cortona 1640

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The Vision of Saint Francis. Pietro da Cortona (copy after the original), c. 1640–1641

The Vision of Saint Francis presented here is a slightly smaller-scale copy of the celebrated altarpiece Pietro da Cortona painted for the Montauto Chapel in the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata in Arezzo, executed around 1640–1641. The work originally belonged to the Pontifical Villa at Castel Gandolfo and was later exhibited in the Pinacoteca in 1932. 

The subject of the Virgin Mary offering the Christ Child to Saint Francis was especially widespread in the 17th century, particularly within Franciscan devotional imagery. Pietro da Cortona, one of the foremost painters of the Baroque, is admired for his dynamic compositions, luminous color harmonies, and the illusionistic vitality with which he infused sacred themes.

In this composition, a youthful Virgin Mary tenderly presents the infant Jesus, who eagerly stretches out his small arms toward Saint Francis in the spontaneous gesture of a child longing to be embraced. Saint Francis receives Him with visible joy, his expression transformed in the radiant presence of the Holy Child. 

While deep blue tones dominate much of the scene, the figures of the Virgin and Christ emanate a warm, celestial light that illuminates their side of the painting, emphasizing the supernatural nature of the moment. At the lower right, Brother Leo sleeps, unaware of the miracle taking place. A crucifix and the Holy Scriptures rest near Francis’ feet, suggesting that the vision appeared to him while he was absorbed in prayer and study.

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This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.