The Martyrdrom of Saint Stephen, kneeling at center while persecutors throw stones at him, three angels holding a laurel wreath overhead, and Christ and God the Father in the clouds at upper left 1751 - 1773

Phillip Joseph Tassaert created this monochromatic drawing, The Martyrdom of Saint Stephen, now at the Metropolitan Museum. Its dynamic composition and stark contrasts evoke a dramatic intensity. The scene is structured vertically, dividing the earthly from the divine. At the bottom, we see the violence against Saint Stephen rendered with sharp, angular lines and a flurry of activity. Above, angels descend, and further up, Christ and God the Father appear amidst soft, cloud-like forms, creating a celestial contrast. The drawing employs a semiotic interplay of light and dark to represent moral and spiritual states. Dark tones dominate the lower portion, symbolizing earthly struggles and human cruelty, while the upper part glows with divine light, signifying salvation and heavenly grace. This visual division serves to highlight the dichotomy between human suffering and divine redemption, reflecting the theological themes prevalent in religious art of the period.