Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata 1500 - 1520

Lo Spagna created this drawing of Saint Francis receiving the stigmata, likely in Italy, sometime around the late 15th or early 16th century. Here, Francis is depicted in a moment of intense religious experience. The stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appear on his body as a sign of divine favor and his profound connection to the suffering of Jesus. Francis was a radical figure. He rejected a life of luxury to embrace poverty and to serve the poor, challenging the established social order and calling for a return to simpler Christian values. The Franciscan order itself became an important institution, offering a different model of religious life. To fully appreciate this drawing, we must examine the historical and religious context of the time. We need to understand the role of saints in popular piety, the challenges to church authority, and the artistic conventions used to convey spiritual experiences. Art historians use a variety of sources, including religious texts, biographies, and studies of artistic patronage, to understand the complex interplay between art, religion, and society.