The Bible in Pictures

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 came from Bologna and worked in Rome from 1595. He painted the subject more than once; the Louvre owns two versions. The picture follows the text closely: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).

In the opened heaven Christ and God the Father look down.

In the opened heaven Christ and God the Father look down.

A young man sits by the clothes the others have laid down. Luke gives his name: Saul, the later apostle Paul.

A young man sits by the clothes the others have laid down. Luke gives his name: Saul, the later apostle Paul.