The Martyrdom of Saint Stephen
Jacob Jordaens captures the chaotic final moments of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, in this dramatic Baroque scene. As a crowd of angry men hurl stones at him, Stephen looks upward in a trance, seeing a vision of Christ opening the heavens above. The muscular figures and dynamic composition are classic Jordaens, showing his talent for capturing raw human emotion and movement. This piece appears to be a lively preparatory sketch, bursting with energy as the artist worked out the composition for a larger masterpiece, proving that even a study can be a masterpiece in its own right.
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