Notes

Rembrandt had chosen the martyrdom of St Stephen as the subject of his first recorded painting, completed in 1625 at the age of 19 (now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon). Some ten years later, he reprises the theme in this dramatic etched portrayal of the saint’s murder by stoning. According to the Acts of the Apostles from the Bible, Stephen was a disciple of Jesus and deacon in the early Christian church who was assigned to distribute food and charities to widows and needy members of the community. His teachings espoused Jesus as saviour and his arguments against traditional Jewish beliefs offended the authorities of certain synagogues, who falsely accused him of preaching against the Temple (blasphemy) and sentenced him to death. Considered the first martyr of Christianity, Stephen is compassionate to the end, imploring God to forgive his murderers of their sins.

Challenging traditional forms of historical narrative, Rembrandt interpreted the events of that day through visual clues and fragmented narratives, whilst incorporating images of modern-day political martyrdom as a powerful reminder of the ongoing cost of freedom: Stephen’s killers could pass for thugs you’d wouldn’t want to encounter in Amsterdam alleyways or canalboats.