Tobias Pock
The Martyrdom of St. Stephen

1640-47
High altar, Cathedral of St. Stephen, Vienna

The painting covers most of the narrative in Acts 7:54-60. In a dalmatic that signifies his role as a deacon, Stephen looks up to Heaven while being stoned and sees Jesus and God the Father. (The artist adds a dove to complete the Trinity.) The dramatic lighting on his face may reflect 6:15, "And all that sat in the council, looking on him, saw his face as if it had been the face of an angel."

Some details go beyond the scriptural account. The palm branch signifying martyrdom is a later invention. The setting is outside the walls of Jerusalem, whereas in Acts Stephen has been taken "to the council" – i.e., the Sanhedrin. Most puzzling, the painting omits Saul, who kept the cloaks of the men who stoned Stephen and "was consenting to his death."

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Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.