French, Lorraine, 14th century

With L.P. Bresset et Fils, Paris, 2005;

From whom acquired.

Saint Stephen, one of the seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to minister to the earliest Christian communities, is venerated as the first martyr of the faith. Accused of blasphemy by the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, he was stoned to death—a fate symbolically referenced in this sculpture by the stones carved on the proper right side of his head.

This sculpture shares notable stylistic traits with figures from the Lorraine region, including a broad, square-shaped face framed by curling hair, eyes accentuated by crescent-like shadows beneath them, prominent cheekbones, and a small, restrained mouth.