The Stoning of Saint Stephen
ca. 1700
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brown wash, over red and black chalk
Dimensions
8 3/16 x 12 3/8 in. (20.8 x 31.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.266
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art lies a dynamic preparatory drawing, *The Stoning of Stephen*, by Venetian artist Niccolò Bambini (1651–1736), dated around 1700. This work captures the biblical martyrdom of Saint Stephen, the Christian martyr, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. Surrounded by aggressors hurling stones, the saint's serene expression amid chaos embodies early Christian themes of faith and endurance, a popular subject in Baroque religious art that resonated during the Counter-Reformation. Executed in pen and brown ink with brown wash over r...