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Secondary sourcePainting1594

Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy

Caravaggio · 1594

A painting by Caravaggio showing Francis of Assisi swooning as he receives the stigmata, supported by an angel.

This painting depicts Francis receiving the stigmata, one of the central events of his life.

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Painting of a bearded man in a brown hooded robe lying on the ground in a dark landscape, eyes closed, head tilted back. A winged angel with curly hair, in a white sleeve and bare chest, leans over him and supports his shoulders. Dark foliage fills the background.
Caravaggio, Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy, c. 1595. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This oil painting was made by the Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio around 1595, early in his career while he lived in the household of Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte. It shows Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata, the wounds of Christ's crucifixion. The painting is now held at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

Why it matters

The story of Francis receiving the stigmata, told by his companion Brother Leo, describes a dramatic, fiery vision. Caravaggio instead painted a quiet, intimate moment: a gentle angel cradling the unconscious saint, with almost no sign of blood or wounds. The painting is thought to use the Cardinal's own features for Francis's face, showing how patrons could shape religious art to reflect themselves.

Look closer

  • What details does Caravaggio leave out of Brother Leo's dramatic account, and why might he have done that?
  • How does the lighting and composition make the scene feel calm rather than violent?
  • Why might a cardinal have wanted this subject painted in such a gentle, personal way?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Francis on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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