St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata

This painting by Jan van Eyck tiny devotional panel around 1430-1432, showing Saint Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata on Mount Alverna. The moment captures Francis kneeling before a vision of Christ appearing as a seraph (six-winged angel), rays of light connecting Christ's wounds to corresponding points on Francis's hands, feet, and side. Brother Leo sits reading nearby, unaware of the miracle occurring beside him.

Two versions of this composition exist, one in Turin's Sabauda Gallery and another in Philadelphia. The miniaturist precision is breathtaking. Despite the panel's tiny scale, Van Eyck renders a vast landscape stretching to distant mountains, with individual rocks, plants, and architectural details clearly visible. A town with identifiable buildings appears in the valley below, demonstrating his ability to compress entire worlds into small spaces.

The work exemplifies the Northern Renaissance interest in combining intense religious feeling with careful observation of the natural world. Every element, from Francis's worn habit to the rocky outcropping where he kneels, receives equal attention. The panel now belongs to the Sabauda Gallery in Turin, Italy, where it stands among the finest examples of early Netherlandish religious painting.