Artwork
San Francisco recibe los estigmas
San Francisco recibe los estigmas is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jusepe de Ribera. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1644 by the Spanish Baroque painter Jusepe de Ribera, this oil on canvas portrays a dramatic religious encounter. The work is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection and exemplifies the early Italian Baroque’s emphasis on chiaroscuro and emotional intensity.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a robed figure with arms outstretched toward the heavens, his posture suggesting reception of divine marks. A second, similarly dressed figure watches from the lower left, reinforcing the narrative of witnessing a sacred event, likely the reception of the stigmata by Saint Francis.
Technique & Style
Ribera employs a stark contrast between a turbulent, cloud‑filled sky and the illuminated bodies, heightening the scene’s tension. The brushwork is tight and realistic, characteristic of his dramatic realism, while the limited palette of dark tones punctuated by a bright bird in flight adds a symbolic layer.
History & Provenance
Painted during Ribera’s productive period in Naples, the piece reflects his status among Spain’s foremost Baroque artists alongside Velázquez, Zurbarán and Murillo. After remaining in private hands for centuries, it entered the Museo del Prado, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Spanish Baroque holdings.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jusepe de Ribera (Valencian: ; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and printmaker.
San Francisco recibiendo los estigmas
St. Francis receiving the Stigmata
Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata
Saint Francis at Prayer
Saint Francis of Assisi
St. Francis Praying
El milagro de las rosas (episodio de la vida de San Francisco)
Saint Peter of Alcántara
St Francis
Saint Francis of Assisi in ecstasy
Saint Francis of Assisi
San Francisco de Paula