St Francis in Extasy assisted by two Angels

This depiction of Saint Francis in ecstasy assisted by two angels represents one of the central experiences in Franciscan mysticism — the saint's overwhelming union with God through contemplative prayer. Francis of Assisi's mystical experiences, which culminated in the reception of the stigmata in 1224, were among the most dramatic episodes in medieval hagiography and among the most frequently depicted in Italian Renaissance and Baroque art. Magnasco's treatment gives the ecstatic Francis his characteristic combination of physical extremity and spiritual intensity — the saint's contorted posture expressing a state that transcends ordinary human experience, the angels providing the transitional figures between earthly and celestial realms.

The ecstatic saint is rendered with Magnasco's dissolution-like brushwork, the supporting angels and rapturous Francis painted with flickering highlights that suggest the transformation of solid flesh into spiritual energy.