Saint Francis and an Angel with a Viola da Braccio (The Ecstasy of Saint Francis)

Art Historical Context

This delicate red chalk drawing from 17th-century Seville captures a tender moment of divine encounter. Created by an anonymous artist of the Seville School, it depicts Saint Francis of Assisi in a state of spiritual rapture, accompanied by an angel playing the viola da braccio. The small scale—just over three by four and three-quarters inches—suggests it may have served as a private devotional study or preparatory sketch, inviting intimate contemplation of the saint’s mystical experience. The choice of red chalk, or sanguine, lends the scene a warm, lifelike glow that heightens its emotional...