The Vision of Saint Francis

In this dramatic etching, Saint Francis of Assisi kneels in an ecstatic trance, with his palms outstretched toward the vibrant holy host he envisions above him. This print reproduces the painted altarpiece that Federico Barocci completed in 1576 for the church of San Francesco, Urbino. The setting of the chapel in which the altarpiece still hangs is included in this composition. The print, though technically reproductive, transcends didactic repetition through the graphic zeal of Barocci’s etched line.