“St. Francis in Ecstasy” is an oil on canvas artwork created by Salvator Rosa. This masterpiece is a religious painting belonging to the Baroque art movement, and it is presently housed in the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, US.
The artwork depicts St. Francis in an intense moment of spiritual ecstasy. In the composition, St. Francis is positioned in the lower left, kneeling on the ground with arms outstretched, his gaze directed upward toward a brilliant light descending from the heavens. The light pierces through a turbulent sky, illuminating the scene below. Surrounding St. Francis, the landscape is rendered in dark, earthy tones, accentuating the contrast between the divine light and the somber environment. Tall, slender trees frame the right side of the painting, their leaves subtly touched by the light. In the background, a mountain range fades into the mist, adding depth and a sense of vastness to the scene. The dramatic interplay of light and shadow, characteristic of Baroque art, heightens the emotional intensity and spiritual significance of the moment captured in the painting.
