Saint Francis of Assisi; Base with Putti
Nicolò Roccatagliata
1600/20
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
108.6 × 40.7 × 29.3 cm (42 3/4 × 16 × 11 1/2 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
216950
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Saint Francis reveals the stigmata, or wounds of Christ, which he received miraculously toward the end of his life in 1224. Since the saint did not suffer martyrdom, his wounds were considered a sign of his special closeness to Jesus. They became a principal feature of representations of the saint during the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic response to the criticisms of the Protestant Reformation. Nicolo Roccatagliata was a master of bronze sculpture and probably executed this statuette during ...