Francesco Gnecchi (1847-1919) - Lapidazione di Santo Stefano

Oil on canvas board, signed and dated at the bottom right. Francesco Gnecchi 1900. The painting depicts a combination of biblical scenes, in particular the stoning of Saint Stephen in the foreground with the persecutors brandishing stones. The inscription "AL DIO IGNOTO" on the Greek temple in the background faithfully reproduces the biblical episode from the Acts of the Apostles in which Paul speaks to the Athenians, starting from the altar dedicated to the Unknown God.

Francesco Gnecchi (Milan, 1847 – Rome, 1919) Gnecchi was not merely an amateur; he studied painting in Milan, becoming a direct pupil of two important masters of Lombard naturalism and landscape painting:
• Mosè Bianchi: one of the greatest painters of the Milanese school of the late nineteenth century, known for his vibrant color handling and genre scenes.
• Achille Formis: a famous landscape painter who instilled in Gnecchi the passion for the portrayal of natural light and outdoor en plein air views. The decade between 1881 and 1891 marks the apex of his public visibility as an artist. Gnecchi regularly exhibited at the exhibitions of the Società per le Belle Arti e Esposizione Permanente in Milan and at other important national shows, receiving favorable reviews for the solidity of his drawing and the elegance of his composition.

“The frame visible in the photo is included as a courtesy and is not an integral part of the work. Any damage to the frame will not be a valid reason for complaints or order cancellations.”