
Stigmatization of St Francis of Assisi and Death of St Peter the Martyr
Fra Angelico·1436
Historical Context
Fra Angelico's Stigmatization of Saint Francis and Death of Saint Peter Martyr, painted around 1436, combines two dramatic scenes of Dominican and Franciscan hagiography on a single panel. The pairing of these pivotal moments from the two mendicant orders' histories creates a devotional program that bridges Dominican and Franciscan spirituality. Fra Angelico — born Guido di Pietro, known in religion as Fra Giovanni da Fiesole — was a Dominican friar whose painting practice was inseparable from his spiritual vocation. Working primarily for his own order and for Florentine civic and private patrons, he created some of the most luminous and spiritually powerful images in the history of European art.
Technical Analysis
The dual composition divides the panel between the two narrative scenes, each rendered with Fra Angelico's luminous color and precise figure drawing, the dramatic contrast between the two subjects unified by his consistent stylistic approach.







