“The Stigmatisation of St. Francis,” created by Piero della Francesca around 1460, is a significant piece from the Early Renaissance art movement. This religious painting is part of the “Polyptych of St. Anthony” series and resides in the National Gallery of Umbria (Palazzo dei Priori), Perugia, Italy.
The artwork portrays Saint Francis of Assisi at the moment he receives the stigmata, the wounds that mirror those of Christ during the crucifixion. Central to the painting is St. Francis, depicted in a state of divine ecstasy, gazing upwards with his hands raised, displaying the stigmata on his palms. Beside him, another figure kneels, observing the miraculous event. The divine vision of a crucified Christ, emanating brilliant light, appears above in the sky, amidst a somber, twilight forest setting that exudes an air of mysticism and reverent silence. Piero della Francesca’s use of light and shadow, along with the detailed portrayal of the figures, underscores the spiritual intensity and miraculous nature of the moment captured in this profound religious scene.
