Rocky Landscape with the Stigmatisation of Saint Francis 1565 - 1629

Aegidius Sadeler II rendered this print, “Rocky Landscape with the Stigmatisation of Saint Francis,” around the turn of the 17th century. We see Saint Francis kneeling, arms outstretched as divine light pours down, marking his body with the stigmata, an imitation of Christ's wounds. This scene of divine communication isn't isolated; recall earlier Byzantine icons where rays of gold signify divine presence, or consider the ecstatic visions of mystics throughout history, similarly depicted bathed in celestial light. The motif transcends religious boundaries. The light itself, a universal symbol of enlightenment and revelation, echoes in Plato’s allegory of the cave, where sunlight represents the ultimate truth. The reception of stigmata—the body as a sacred text—is a recurring theme, resurfacing in different forms, each time carrying the weight of cultural memory and the yearning for spiritual connection. This echoes throughout the ages, evolving yet fundamentally unchanged, engaging us on a subconscious level with its powerful message of sacrifice and spiritual ecstasy.