Saint Catherine of Siena Receiving the Stigmata

Domenico Beccafumi painted this Saint Catherine of Siena Receiving the Stigmata around 1513 for the J. Paul Getty Museum. The mystical stigmatization of Siena's most famous saint was a subject of intense local devotion, and Beccafumi's innovative treatment brought his proto-Mannerist experimentation to this deeply Sienese theme. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

The panel demonstrates Beccafumi's characteristic dramatic lighting and chromatic intensity, with the supernatural event rendered through unusual atmospheric effects and bold color contrasts that create a visionary devotional image.