Ecstasy of Saint Francis by Sasseta 1437


The Ecstasy of St Francis, by Sasseta. Made between 1437 and 1444, a work of tempera on wood.

The panel formed part of an altarpiece, placed originally on the high altar of the St Francis church in Borgo San Sepolcro. According to the reconstruction of the now dismembered altarpiece, this panel was in the centre of the back side of the polyptych.

This large painting is in rather good condition. Sassetta maintains a balance between a demanding realism in certain parts, like the brilliant treatment of the hands and feet of St Francis, the more esoteric treatment of the aureole that surrounds the saint, and the gilt background.


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.

Comments