Stigmatta Peter Paul Rubens 1633

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Stigmatta, by master Peter Paul Rubens (1633)

This oil-on-canvas is a masterpiece of the Baroque period, housed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium. Depicting an iconic episode on the life of Saint Francis of Assisi regarding his heavenly vision on Mount Della Verna in 1224. 

Saint Francis is shown in his humble brown Franciscan habit, kneeling on a rocky terrain. His face, turned back from the heavens, is a dramatic mixture of pain and ecstasy. At this precise moment, Francis looks toward the audience, showing his left palm. Another outstading detail is, instead of the wound droping blood, the hands show the nails proceding from the Holy cross. 

Above Saint Francis, instead of the more traditional celestial being—partially angelic and partially a vision of the crucified Christ—descending from dark, swirling clouds, Jesus Christ leans over the saint, blowing the stigmata rays. 

Rubens's use of soft, gray tones for the saint's face is typical of his late work. A radiant golden glow surrounds the seraph, and beams of divine light emanate from his six wings to mark Saint Francis with the stigmata. A skull and an open prayer book are placed at his feet, alluding to Saint Francis's life of contemplation and devotion.

The painting showcases Rubens's mastery of the Baroque style through its rich colors, dramatic use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), and dynamic composition. The tumultuous sky amplifies the drama and spiritual intensity of the scene. 

Rubens painted the work for the Franciscan monastic church in Ghent. It was part of a larger commission for three paintings. The work would be seized from Saint Peter's Abbey in Ghent during the French Revolution in 1797. It was later returned and placed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent.

Prints of the painting were produced by other artists, including Frans Pilsen and Philippe Lambert, which helped spread its image and influence. 

Get a pack of 3 digital restored images (including the one on this post) now on sale

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.