Crucifixion with Saints Francis and Clare

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The Crucifixion with the Virgin, St Francis of Assisi and St Clare by an unknown Flemish, 17th Century

This 17th-century Flemish painting presents the Crucifixion not as a distant historical event, but as a deeply personal and contemplative encounter. Christ hangs upon the Cross beneath a darkened sky, His body elongated and luminous against the shadowed landscape. The Virgin Mary stands to the left, wrapped in blue and red, her gesture restrained yet full of sorrowful surrender. At the foot of the Cross kneels Saint Francis of Assisi, gazing upward with intense devotion, while Saint Clare rests close beside him in prayerful grief. The composition draws the viewer downward into the human response to divine sacrifice — awe, sorrow, and adoration.

Particularly striking is the Franciscan presence at Calvary. Though historically separated from the event by centuries, Francis and Clare are placed here as spiritual witnesses. Francis, whose life was marked by profound meditation on the Passion and by the reception of the stigmata, reaches toward Christ in an act that feels both intimate and reverent. Clare’s posture, quieter and more interior, reflects contemplative fidelity. Their inclusion transforms the Crucifixion into a timeless reality — one that extends beyond history into the lived spirituality of the Church.

Above, two angels emerge from luminous clouds, bearing witness from heaven and softening the starkness of the scene with a note of divine glory. Painted in oil on panel and modest in scale (52.9 x 39.5 cm), the work possesses the intimacy of private devotion rather than monumental drama. It invites not spectacle, but prayer. In its restrained palette and emotional gravity, the painting reflects the Flemish Baroque sensitivity to realism and spiritual depth, offering a meditation on suffering, love, and the call to stand faithfully at the foot of the Cross.

Private collection, Belgium. Oil on panel. Dimensions 52.9 cm x 39.5 cm

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