A Miracle of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, Placido Costanzi (1750)
Placido Costanzi’s A Miracle of Saint Joseph of Cupertino captures a moment of divine wonder drawn from the life of the 17th-century Franciscan friar, renowned for his miraculous levitations during prayer. In a state of ecstatic rapture, the saint hovers above the ground, his gaze turned heavenward, his body lightened by spiritual fervor. His gentle expression and posture communicate humility and devotion, emphasizing the deeply mystical nature of his faith.
Set within a luminous, otherworldly sky, the scene contrasts the grounded awe of onlookers with the saint’s ascent toward the divine. Costanzi’s use of dramatic light and swirling composition—a hallmark of the Baroque—bridges the earthly and celestial, amplifying the tension between human wonder and supernatural mystery. The astonished expressions of the surrounding figures mirror the viewer’s sense of marvel, reinforcing Joseph’s role as a vessel of divine grace.
Rich in movement, color, and spiritual intensity, the painting reflects Baroque ideals while offering a powerful meditation on transcendence, religious ecstasy, and the porous boundary between the material and the miraculous.
Cotton and polyester canvas on Radiata pine wood frame sourced from renewable forests. Includes back mounting.
