Saint Catherine of Siena Receiving the Stigmata 1443 - 1468

Giovanni di Paolo painted "Saint Catherine of Siena Receiving the Stigmata" with tempera and gold on wood in the early Quattrocento. Saint Catherine, a tertiary of the Dominican Order, was a highly influential philosopher and theologian. Here, the artist captures her spiritual ecstasy as she receives the stigmata, the wounds of Christ. This depiction occurs in the late medieval period, a time when the rise of powerful women within the Catholic church provided new representations of female identity. The ethereal and stylized rendering is typical of Sienese painting. Catherine’s traditional nun’s habit is contrasted with the gold of her halo and the stigmata. Her upturned face is a study in devotion as she gazes upon the crucified Christ. The painting presents an alternative narrative about the power of female spirituality. It invites us to reflect on the historical and cultural forces that shaped both Saint Catherine’s life and the painting itself. This piece transforms the personal into the universal, as it illustrates the profound connection between faith, identity, and the divine.