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Ludovico Carracci , Italian, 1555-1619

Title

Saint Francis of Assisi

Datec.1588-1589

MediumInk, graphite and wash on paper

Dimensions

19.3 x 17.8 cm

Credit LinePurchased, 1972

Object numberNGI.7484

DescriptionIn 1226 St Francis of Assisi had a vision of the crucified Christ, after which he miraculously received the stigmata, the same wounds inflicted upon Christ during the Crucifixion. In this drawing, Carracci depicts the moment of this miraculous occurrence, with the kneeling saint, arms outstretched, receiving the stigmata from heaven. The saint’s transfixed gaze conveys the spiritual impact of the experience. A skull lies to the left, while a hooded friar huddles under the tree.

Drawings made with a quill pen make up the majority of Ludovico Carracci’s drawn oeuvre. The pen became popular as a drawing tool in the sixteenth century as it offered the artist greater flexibility and potential for expression compared to the stylus used in metalpoint drawings. During the 1580s Carracci and his cousins Agostino and Annibale were among the most radical and innovative artists in europe. They rejected the artificiality of Mannerist painting, and instead championed a return to nature coupled with the study of the great northern Italian painters of the Renaissance.

(National Gallery of Ireland: Essential Guide, 2016)