Saint Catherine of Siena receiving the stigmata between Saints Benedict and Jerome (detail) 1517

Domenico Beccafumi painted this panel depicting Saint Catherine of Siena receiving the stigmata sometime in the early 16th century in Italy. At this time, the Catholic church was under immense pressure and was struggling with its public image in the face of the Protestant reformation. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations, as it shows Catherine of Siena, a lay Dominican associated with several miracles, receiving the stigmata, while flanked by Saint Benedict and Saint Jerome, as well as the virgin Mary. The iconography serves as a visual and persuasive argument in the social context of the time to reinforce faith in the Catholic Church by reaffirming the importance of its Saints, their miracles, and the authority of the Bible as interpreted and translated by Saint Jerome himself. To truly understand its place in history we can use available research resources like historical archives and theological texts to better interpret the artwork. The meaning of art is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was made.