2-999-719 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Saint Louis of Toulouse, Saint Francis, and the Blessed John Capistrano, c1499-1500. This triptych (an altarpiece with three panels) of three Franciscan holy men was probably placed on the high altar of a Franciscan church. Depicted as if bathed in natural light, the architectural setting with the three saints opens up to a serene landscape. Inside the church, this illusionistic opening would have given the painting the character of a divine vision. Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order, is depicted with the stigmata (wounds similar to those of Christ in the hands, feet, and side), which he received during a vision towards the end of his life. Rose petals are scattered across the floor.