St. Stephen, also known as the first Christian martyr, is depicted in Rembrandt The Stoning of St. Stephen, 1635 by Rembrandt in one of the most organic and beautifully detailed compositions; his posture is that of deflated acceptance, an agony that is palpable within the atmosphere of this harrowing scene.  Having been wrongfully accused of blasphemy, St. Stephen was put to death by stoning – a common method of capital punishment during the 1^st century A.D.  Rembrandt has manipulated the varying shades of light in this piece throughout three varying planes: the foreground and “spotlight” where we see St. Stephen, the surrounding figures in the foreground which are shaded slightly darker, and the background landscape detailing the environment.

Created in 1635, this work is signed and dated by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Leiden, 1606- Amsterdam, 1669) in the plate, ‘Rembrandt 1635’ in the lower left of the image. According to the New Hollstein Dutch, this work is a state IV of IV impression, a Nowell-Usticke State IV (of IV); Boon & White State II (of II); Bjorklund State II (of II); Hind State I (of I).

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Rembrandt The Stoning of St. Stephen, 1635 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoice accompanying the final sale of the work):

1. Bartsch. The Illustrated Bartsch Vol. 50.  Edited by Stephanie S. Dickey.  New York: Abaris Books, 1981.Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 94 (another example illustrated).

2. Biörklund, George. Rembrandt’s Etchings: True and False, Stockholm: George Biörklund, 1968. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. BB. 35-A.

3. Hind, Arthur. A Catalogue of Rembrandt’s Etchings. New York: Da Capo Press, 1967. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 125.

4. Hinterding, Erik and Rutgers, Jaco. The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engraving and Woodcuts, 1450-1700: Rembrandt Text I 1625-1635 nos. 1-155. Edited by Ger Luijten. Amsterdam: Sound and Vision Publishers, 2013. Listed as catalogue raisonné no. 140.

5. Hinterding, Erik and Rutgers, Jaco. The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engraving and Woodcuts, 1450-1700: Rembrandt Plates II 1635-1648 nos. 139-246. Edited by Ger Luijten. Amsterdam: Sound and Vision Publishers, 2013. Illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 140.

6. Mϋnz, Ludwig. Rembrandt’s Etchings: Reproductions of the Whole Original Etched Work, Vol. 1. London: Phaidon Press, 1952. Illustrated as plate 231.

7. Mϋnz, Ludwig. Rembrandt’s Etchings: Reproductions of the Whole Original Etched Work, Vol.2. London: Phaidon Press, 1952. Listed as catalogue raisonné no. 205.

8. Nowell-Eusticke, G.W. Rembrandt’s Etchings. New York: Hacker Art Books, Inc., 1988. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. B 97.

9.White, Christopher and Boon, Karel. Rembrandt’s Etchings, Vol. 1, Amsterdam: Van Gendt & Co.,1969. Listed catalogue raisonné no.  B 97.

10. White, Christopher and Boon, Karel. Rembrandt’s Etchings, Vol. 2, Amsterdam: Van Gendt & Co.,1969. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. B 97.

11. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:

Rembrandt The Stoning of St. Stephen, 1635 is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and finished with linen-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.