Saint Jerome and the Lion: Predella Panel

Sassetta's depiction of Saint Francis in ecstasy comes from the great back predella of the Sansepolcro altarpiece, where a sequence of narrative scenes illustrated key moments from the saint's spiritual journey. The ecstasy of Saint Francis, often associated with his reception of the stigmata on Mount La Verna in 1224, was one of the most theologically significant episodes in Franciscan hagiography. Carmelite friar, trained under Masaccio's influence, worked for the Medici and major religious patrons.

The scene displays Sassetta's masterful handling of light and atmosphere, with the golden glow of divine illumination contrasting with the earth tones of the mountain setting in a composition of intense spiritual drama.