← Willem Pietersz Buytewech

Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

Original title: Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

Artist

Willem Pietersz Buytewech

Date

ca. 1613–14

Medium

Etching; second state of three (Hollstein)

Dimensions

Sheet: 5 5/8 × 4 1/8 in. (14.3 × 10.5 cm) Plate: 5 1/2 × 4 1/16 in. (13.9 × 10.3 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951

kurzbeschreibung

This etching by Willem Pietersz Buytewech, made around 1613–14, shows Saint Francis receiving the wounds of Christ. The impression is a second state of three (Hollstein) and belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Description

Kneeling on a rock with his head turned upward, Francis wears a plain habit gathered at the waist by a cord; his arms are slightly raised, and his expression is serious and withdrawn. Clouds and a section of a church facade fill the rear area. The arrangement avoids symmetry and places the saint at the center.

Context

Buytewech, a Dutch artist of the early seventeenth century, is known for his etchings and paintings. The stigmatization of Saint Francis was a common subject in Counter-Reformation art. At a time when printmaking in the Netherlands was flourishing, Buytewech produced this sheet. It belongs to his printed oeuvre, which is distinguished by precise linework and religious subjects.

Impact

A quiet, contemplative atmosphere emanates from the etching. Light and shadow emphasize the figure's devotion. The monochrome execution directs attention to the saint's spiritual experience.

Technique

Etching is a process in which the drawing is scratched into a wax layer on a copper plate and then bitten with acid. During printing, the paper takes up ink from the incised lines. Buytewech worked with fine, hard lines characteristic of the Baroque.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)