The Ecstasy of Saint Francis

WEBP (MASTER) • 7347 × 9707 PX • 3.9 MB
Curatorial Notes

Generally considered Giovanni Baglione’s most accomplished painting, this work is his first known “Caravaggesque” picture—that is, one that incorporates the innovative use of realistic figure types and dramatic lighting favored by the painter Caravaggio beginning in the late 1590s. Saint Francis swoons in ecstasy into the arms of an angel after meditating on the instruments used to torture Jesus, presented by another angel on the left. Baglione’s brief Caravaggesque phase ended after 1603, when, in an infamous trial, he accused Caravaggio of slander for having distributed a series of malicious poems about him.

Artwork Identification

Title The Ecstasy of Saint Francis
Title (PT) O Êxtase de São Francisco
Title (ES) El éxtasis de san Francisco
Artist Giovanni Baglione
Artist Bio Giovanni Baglione (Italian, 1566–1643)
Date 1601
Work Type Painting

Location & Collection

License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
Ars Sancta