Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata
1540
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1540
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A sunburst cracks open the sky above a forest, sending golden rays down to a kneeling man in a brown robe. Trees bend like they’re bowing, and tiny deer watch from the shadows. This is Saint Francis getting the stigmata—wounds that match Christ’s. The story says it happened in the woods, so the whole landscape feels alive with the miracle. The artist, Boldrini, worked in Venice, where light and nature were big deals in art. To see how light can tell a story, look up *chiaroscuro*.
