Why it matters
Saint Francis gazes upward in ecstasy, his long hands crossed over his chest, showing the stigmata, with a skull before him symbolising the transience of life. El Greco painted Francis many times.
Did you know?
- He first took up the subject in Rome, before leaving for Spain.
- It may be based on a fresco he saw in Assisi.
- Unusually, the saint's eyes are not filled with tears.
Based on the Polish Wikipedia article Święty Franciszek w ekstazie (obraz El Greca) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
