Saint Francis with the Blood of Christ

[1][2] It shows Francis of Assisi (with his stigmata visible) collecting blood pouring from the side of Christ in a cup, with the column, the ropes and the stick with the vinegar-soaked sponge from the Flagellation and Passion of Christ.

Christ himself holds a cross, from which hang other Instruments of the Passion (crown of thorns, whip, nails).

The subject is a rare one in painting, mainly appearing in works from the Veneto such as Giovanni Bellini's The Blood of the Redeemer (National Gallery, London)[3] and Carpaccio's Christ between Four Angels (Udine).

With St Francis as an active character, Crivelli's treatment of the theme differs from the ideas of Giacomo della Marca and thus represents a highly rare and personal idea provided by an unknown commissioner.

Traces of a hinge on the canvas support suggest it once had a lid, whilst a recent restoration has revealed the artist's signature from beneath later overpainting - its use of the title "MILES" means it post-dates 1490, when the artist was granted that title by Ferdinand of Aragon.