Stoning of Saint Stephen 16th-17th century

Curator: This is Philippe Thomassin's "Stoning of Saint Stephen," and the first thing that strikes me is how brutally dynamic the composition feels. Editor: Agreed. The etching's density conveys the violence. One wonders about the copperplate itself—how many stones could it withstand before wearing down? Curator: Well, let’s think about the period: Thomassin, active between the late 16th and early 17th centuries, was working in a time of Counter-Reformation fervor. I see this print as reinforcing the Church’s narrative against its perceived enemies. Editor: It's also a document of material culture. The clothes, the architecture, and even the stones themselves speak of a specific time and place, reflecting labor and social order. Curator: But it goes beyond mere documentation. St. Stephen, a marginalized figure, becomes a symbol of resistance against oppressive power structures throughout history. His stoning, rendered in such detail, continues to resonate with contemporary struggles. Editor: A resonant process, no doubt, but one that is embedded in and emerged from a very specific material reality. Curator: A powerful and multifaceted image, one that I believe has the ability to move, challenge, and inform. Editor: Yes, an object that is both heavy and light.