Collection: St. Francis of Assisi

ARTIST: Museum Religious Art Classics

ARTWORK NARRATIVE:

Artist: Peter Paul Rubens – c. 1615

The preaching and teaching activities of the reformed religious orders, including the Franciscans, were important for the resurgence of the Catholic Church in the southern Netherlands following years of religious and political turmoil in the 16th century. Peter Paul Rubens painted numerous images of the founder of the Franciscans, Saint Francis of Assisi. They emphasize his ecstatic piety, most vividly represented in the episode of his stigmatization, when he received the marks of Christ’s Passion. In this simpler, portraitlike image, Rubens conveyed the saint’s spirituality through his inward gaze and gesture of meditation.

His feast day is October 4.