The Ecstasy of Saint Francis di Paola

Description Francis of Paola was a 15th-century Franciscan saint. He founded the Order of the Minims and was known for his austere lifestyle. Like Mary Magdalene, St. Francis of Paola had ecstatic visions of being lifted up into heaven by angels. The book and skull on the ground refer to his meditations. The sketchy painting was probably a "modello" (preparatory sketch of a composition) for a larger altarpiece. For more information on this painting, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 380, pp. 497-498.

Provenance Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 482, as Murillo]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902