Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

The Italian Baroque painter Pier Francesco Mola was known for his mystical devotional paintings representing solitary saints praying in lush, idyllic landscapes. Here Mola depicts Saint Francis praying on Mount Alverna, where a powerful vision left the saint with the wounds of Christ's crucifixion permanently marking his hands, feet, and chest. Mola represents the presence of the divine as a burst of light breaking through the cloudy sky to touch Francis, both metaphorically (as a vision) and physically (with the stigmata). Mola executed this painting on marble, exploiting the luminous appearance of the stone to represent the sky, golden horizon, and forest floor. Italy, Europe