Old Masters · Acts 7:59 · 5 October 2026 · 3 works

The Stoning of Saint Stephen

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

For 26 December: the first martyr, the day after Christmas.

Stephen kneels in a yellow deacon's robe before the wall of the city, his hands folded. Men lift stones and bend for more. Above them the sky has opened, and an angel flies down with a crown.

Annibale Carracci, The Stoning of Saint Stephen, c. 1603–04 — **Annibale Carracci**, The Stoning of Saint Stephen, c. 1603–04

A shaft of light falls from the upper left on to the kneeling deacon, and angels come down in it with palm and crown. Close beside him a half-naked man lifts a heavy stone above his head with both arms.

Adam Elsheimer, The Stoning of Saint Stephen, c. 1603–04 — **Adam Elsheimer**, The Stoning of Saint Stephen, c. 1603–04

The left half lies in shadow, with a rider seen from behind. In the light Stephen has sunk to his knees and spreads his arms, while men crowd round him with stones raised in both hands.

Rembrandt, The Stoning of Saint Stephen, 1625 — **Rembrandt**, The Stoning of Saint Stephen, 1625