Italian school; 17th century.

Italian school; XVII century.
"St. Francis of Assisi comforted by angels".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Presents restorations.
Measurements: 121 x 86 cm; 133 x 97 cm (frame).
The scene shows St. Francis of Assisi in a moment of ecstasy or spiritual agony, probably related to his meditation on the Passion of Christ, as indicated by the presence of symbolic elements such as the wooden cross and the skull, symbols of penance, death and mystical contemplation. His body, wrapped in the traditional Franciscan habit of brownish tones, is presented inclined, with his head fallen to one side, his face serene and melancholic, and his hands open in a gesture of abandonment or divine reception. The contrast of light and shadow gives a sculptural character to his figure, which emerges from a tenebrist background, typical of the Italian Baroque influenced by Caravaggio.
Behind him appears a young angel, wrapped in orange and gold garments, with subtly visible wings. The angel leans towards St. Francis, embracing him tenderly and whispering in his ear, in a gesture of intimate and compassionate consolation. This narrative resource evokes the mystical moment in which the saint, in full contemplation, is supported by celestial beings in the face of spiritual or physical suffering.
This painting is part of the Italian Baroque trend, characterized by its intense spirituality, the use of dramatic chiaroscuro and the theatricality contained in gestures and expressions. The dark atmosphere that envelops the scene not only highlights the volume of the figures, but also directs the viewer's gaze towards the essential elements of the spiritual drama: the compassionate face of the angel, the saint's defeated posture and the symbols of his meditation.
The emphatic and naturalistic anatomy, as well as the earthy palette with luminous touches, allow the work to be placed within the sphere of influence of painters who were late followers of Caravaggio, who used these resources to capture both the divine and the human on the same pictorial plane.
St. Francis is an iconic figure of Christian asceticism, and his depiction comforted by an angel suggests the triumph of grace over suffering. The skull alludes to the meditatio mortis, a habitual practice of the saint, while the cross refers to his identification with the pains of Christ, reinforcing the passion dimension of the scene. The angel's gesture, far from being merely compassionate, also symbolizes the divine intervention that sustains the righteous soul in the face of tribulation.
This work is a moving example of Italian devotional baroque, in which the figure of the saint appears as a model of virtue and resignation in the face of pain, comforted by the heavenly presence. Its sober composition but charged with spiritual meaning, its mastery of chiaroscuro and the restrained expressiveness of the gesture make this painting a powerful piece within the Franciscan iconography.