The artwork titled “Stigmata of St. Francis,” created by Domenico Ghirlandaio between 1483 and 1485, is a fresco representing a seminal piece of the Early Renaissance movement. This religious painting depicts the moment when St. Francis of Assisi receives the stigmata, symbolizing divine favor and suffering akin to that of Christ.
In the artwork, St. Francis is portrayed kneeling, his face illuminated and expressing divine ecstasy as he receives the stigmata, with rays of light descending upon him from a celestial vision in the upper left corner. Another monk in the foreground, presumably one of St. Francis’s companions, is depicted in a reverent posture, observing the miraculous event. The background reveals a serene and meticulously detailed landscape, characterized by lush greenery, a winding pathway, and distant architecture, creating a harmonious yet spiritually charged atmosphere. Various elements of nature, including birds and deer, enhance the pastoral setting and contribute to the sense of divine revelation occurring within the natural world.
