Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata 1575

Editor: So here we have Cornelis Cort's Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata. It's an etching, quite detailed. I'm struck by how dramatic it is. What exactly is going on in this piece? Curator: It's a moment of profound spiritual transformation, wouldn't you agree? Saint Francis is in communion with the divine, rays of light pierce him, and Cort captures the raw emotion so palpably. It's a visual poem about faith, suffering, and the ecstasy of union. Editor: A visual poem... I like that! So the landscape isn’t just decoration? Curator: Oh, heavens no! The landscape mirrors Francis's inner turmoil, the jagged rocks and looming trees echoing his emotional state. And that light! It's not just light, it's divine energy, almost a character itself. Editor: I see it now! It really makes you think about the intensity of the experience. Curator: Exactly! The blurring of the earthly and the divine. Art, at its best, right?