Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata c. 1480

This hand-colored woodcut, "Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata," was likely made in Southern Germany in the late fifteenth century. It depicts the founder of the Franciscan order kneeling in prayer, as a vision of Christ on the cross appears before him, attended by angels. Rays of light connect Christ’s wounds with those appearing on Francis’ body. Small devotional prints such as this were made for private contemplation, and their widespread availability coincides with a rising sense of individualism within the religious experience of the late Middle Ages. Francis was especially important here. He was embraced by the German population and became a folk saint because of his association with poverty, and his compassion for the sick and poor. Art historians look to prints like these to understand the social role of religious imagery and understand how faith is mediated through the institutions of art production and consumption.