Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

Jan van Eyck's Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata captures the moment when Francis of Assisi received the wounds of Christ during a forty-day fast in the wilderness. Painted around 1432 in oil on panel, this version resides in the Royal Museums of Turin. The saint kneels on grassy ground dotted with blue and white flowers, strawberries, and plantain while gazing upward at a vision of the Crucified Christ held aloft by a six-winged seraph.

Van Eyck's microscopic technique allows extraordinary detail: imagery that appears both sharp and distant at once. In the foreground, Brother Leo sits dozing, unaware of the miracle unfolding behind him. A bustling Netherlandish city fills the background, suggesting the miracle exists outside the boundaries of time and geography. The rocky landscape, elaborately composed with two trees balancing the stone formations, influenced later artists including Botticelli and Giovanni Bellini.