The Stigmatisation of St Francis
Historical Context
The Stigmatization of Saint Francis, painted in 1502 and held at the Belvedere in Vienna, depicts the moment when Francis of Assisi received the wounds of Christ while praying on Mount La Verna. This early work from Cranach’s Vienna period shows the dramatic landscape settings and expressive intensity that characterized his formative years. Francis kneels in a rocky wilderness as the crucified Christ appears in the sky, rays of light projecting the stigmata onto the saint’s body. The painting reflects the continued popularity of Franciscan devotion in the early sixteenth century, before the Reformation challenged the theological foundations of mendicant spirituality. The Belvedere’s holding testifies to the Vienna period’s importance in Cranach’s artistic development.
Technical Analysis
The painting demonstrates the techniques and compositional approach characteristic of High Renaissance painting, with careful attention to the subject matter and the visual conventions of the period.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the dramatic lighting in this early Stigmatization: Cranach was experimenting with light effects in his pre-Wittenberg work that he would later simplify.
- ◆Look at Francis's posture as he receives the wounds of Christ: the saint typically kneels in prayer, arms extended, the mystical moment of physical transformation.
- ◆Find the landscape setting at Mount La Verna: the rocky, atmospheric landscape reflects Cranach's early Danube School training.
- ◆Observe how this 1502 Belvedere panel shows Cranach's religious subjects before his art was shaped by the specific theological demands of the Protestant Reformation.
