“The Stigmatization of St. Francis,” created by Peter Paul Rubens circa 1616, is a religious painting belonging to the Baroque art movement. It is an oil on canvas measuring approximately 382 by 243 centimeters. The artwork is part of the collection of the Wallraf-Richartz Museum located in Cologne, Germany.
The artwork depicts a dramatic scene focused on the figure of St. Francis of Assisi. In the foreground, St. Francis is portrayed in a state of divine ecstasy. His eyes are raised to the heavens, and his arms are open in a gesture of reception and surrender. The marks of stigmata are visible on his hands, symbolizing the wounds that are believed to have miraculously appeared on his body in imitation of those of Christ on the cross.
Above St. Francis, an angel descends diagonally from the upper right, its strong and dynamic motion characteristic of the Baroque emphasis on movement and emotion. The angel is delivering the stigmata, represented by rays of light that pierce the hands, feet, and side of the saint. Two cherubic figures surround the angel, enhancing the aura of the supernatural event.
At St. Francis’s feet, two of his followers are depicted, one of whom appears to be sleeping while the other shields his eyes, overwhelmed by the miraculous occurrence. Deep chiaroscuro contrasts define the figures and the landscape, lending the scene a robust theatrical impact that underlines the mystical and transcendent nature of the event. The intense emotional expression on the faces of the characters, combined with the dramatic use of light and dark, exemplifies Rubens’s mastery in capturing the spiritual intensity of the moment.
