Saint Francis Of Assisi Receiving The Stigmata – 19th Century – 95x79cm

Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata – 19th Century – 95x79cm Oil on canvas – 19th century, after a 17th-century model. Italian or French School. A beautiful and large oil on canvas depicting the Stigmatization of Saint Francis of Assisi, a foundational mystical event that occurred in 1224 on Mount Alverna, faithfully rendered according to Franciscan iconographic tradition. The saint is shown full-length, dressed in the brown Franciscan habit cinched with a three-knotted cord, symbols of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. His arms are outstretched and raised towards heaven, his open palms receiving the stigmata of Christ. His slightly tilted face expresses a mystical ecstasy of great spiritual intensity. In the sky, a seraphic Christ with colored wings radiates amidst luminous clouds, accompanied by a cherub. At his feet, a skull (memento mori) and an open book recall meditation on death and contemplative prayer. The background reveals an Italian landscape of wooded hills, with a hamlet visible on the plain bathed in golden light on the horizon. This high-quality work belongs to the grand tradition of 19th-century academic copies after Italian Baroque masters. The composition is very likely inspired by an engraving by Ludovico Carracci. The influence of the Bolognese school is evident in the treatment of the clouds, the landscape, and the pose of the saint. 19th-century work, 95 x 79 cm