In mediaeval Europe, people accused of sin, especially women, who were often branded adulteress, witch or heretic, were punished mercilessly in the open, to make them spectacles of public hate and mockery. Even women who bore strange birthmarks or unfortunately suffered sudden fits, were often accused of witchcraft or heresy, and instead of receiving care and compassion, were punished publicly by pressing hot iron on their skin, leaving a permanent scar for the world to see. They called it penance, but it was humiliation disguised as holiness, and their pain was judged as proof of their sin or saintliness, and they were often accused of witchcraft.

Georges Moreau de Tours, a French painter, born in 1848 in the tranquil town of Ivry-sur-Seine in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, and renowned for his historical and genre scenes that delve into the complexities of human experience, created his painting, A Stigma in the Middle Ages, exploring the phenomenon of stigmata, marks resembling the crucifixion wounds of Christ. The painting, completed in 1885, and displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Nantes in France, locally called Musée des Beaux-Arts, depicts the exact moment after a woman was punished for her sin. The work, reflecting the artist’s interest in the intersection of religion, mysticism, and human psychology, themes that were prevalent in his oeuvre, also explores themes of religion, mysticism, and human psychology prevalent in the feudal society of the dark ages, with a focus on the societal fascination and suspicion surrounding mystical phenomena like stigmata, marks resembling the wounds of Christ.

The painting, set in a mediaeval setting, depicts a young woman in a loose white dress, tied to a stone chair, with her hands and feet bearing the visible marks of stigmata. Her serene expression contrasts with the intense scrutiny of the surrounding figures, including clerics and laypeople, who observe her with a mix of awe and scepticism. In the painting, Moreau de Tours used a muted colour palette and soft lighting to highlight the central figure, emphasising her spiritual significance. The detailed rendering of the characters' attire and the setting provides an authentic glimpse into the prevalent society, while also underscoring the societal fascination with and suspicion of mystical phenomena.