Who painted St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata?

St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata was painted by Bicci di Lorenzo in 1430.

Where can I see St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata?

St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata?

St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata is associated with Early Renaissance.

Artwork

St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata

Bicci di Lorenzo , 1430

St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Bicci di Lorenzo. It dates from 1430 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The panel depicts the moment when St.

About this work

The artist kept the story simple, focusing on the moment of divine touch rather than drama.

A golden angel with six wings hovers above a kneeling man in a brown robe. Rays of light shoot from the angel’s hands to the man’s palms, feet, and side. Tiny monks watch from a rocky hillside.

This scene shows St. Francis receiving the stigmata—wounds like Christ’s. It happened in 1224, but the painting was made about 200 years later. The artist kept the story simple, focusing on the moment of divine touch rather than drama.

If you like this quiet, sacred style, look up *Italy, 15th century* for more works like it.

Overview

The panel depicts the moment when St. Francis of Assisi receives the stigmata, the miraculous wounds that mirror those of Christ. Set on a rocky hillside, the saint kneels in a simple brown habit while a six‑winged angel hovers above, transmitting rays of light that touch his hands, feet and side. A small group of monks watches, one raising his hands in astonishment.

Subject & Meaning

The work illustrates the 1224 episode at La Verna where, after weeks of prayer, Francis is said to have been marked by the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. The angel’s luminous beams symbolize divine approval and the saint’s identification with Christ’s suffering, emphasizing themes of humility, sacrifice and mystical union with the sacred.

Technique & Style

Executed as a predella panel, the composition is restrained and orderly, focusing on the interaction between angel and saint rather than dramatic narrative. The artist employs a limited palette of earth tones punctuated by golden light, and the six‑winged angel is rendered with delicate linear detail, conveying a serene, otherworldly atmosphere typical of 15th‑century Italian devotional painting.

History & Provenance

Although the event occurred in the early 13th century, the panel was created roughly two centuries later, around the mid‑1400s. It was originally installed as part of a series of smaller scenes beneath a larger altarpiece, and it retains its original frame, indicating that it has remained in situ or within a controlled collection since its installation.