The Last Communion of Saint Mary of Egypt 1680

Marcantonio Franceschini painted "The Last Communion of Saint Mary of Egypt" using oil on copper. It's a traditional medium, but the choice of copper as a support is interesting. In Franceschini's time, canvas was becoming the norm, owing to its flexibility and relative cheapness, especially for very large paintings. But copper offered a very smooth, hard surface, ideal for achieving a high degree of detail. Look closely and you can see how Franceschini exploits this property of the material. This speaks to a certain sensibility, harking back to earlier traditions, like the Northern Renaissance painters who embraced panel painting for its precision. The hard, shiny surface of the copper also imparts a subtle glow to the composition. Franceschini was clearly not shy about lavishing attention on this picture. It's a reminder that even with a familiar genre like religious painting, the choice of materials can be pivotal.