Francesco De Mura (1969 - 1784), Workshop of - Martirio di Santo Stefano

School of FRANCESCO DE MURA
(Naples, 1969 - 1784)
Martyrdom of Saint Stephen
Oil on canvas, 102.5 x 69 cm
Frame size approx. 106 x 73 x 4 cm

NOTES: Florence, Pandolfini, 12 October 2022, lot 91 (as Neapolitan School, 17th century); Publication of catalog of works from the Intermidiart collection. Certificate of Legitimate Provenance. Work with a slim wooden frame (defects):

The work presents in a discreet state of conservation. The painted surface reveals a conspicuous semicircular lacuna in the upper portion of the composition, historically filled by a neutral preparatory layer or subject to an ancient intervention of structural adaptation to a fake arch. Widespread craquelure due to aging and traces of oxidized varnish temper the original brilliance of the chiaroscuro palette, though the plastic and formal values of the pictorial fabric remain perfectly legible.

The painting depicts the dramatic moment of the stoning of Saint Stephen, the Christian protomartyr, faithfully aligned with the Acts of the Apostles. The nucleus of the figure is organized around a tight dynamic tension: at the center, the saint lies on the ground, clothed in the traditional dalmatic with changing tones. With arms outstretched and a gaze lifted heavenward, he accepts martyrdom in a pose of total submission and faith that echoes the models of the great Baroque tradition.

Around the martyr’s figure are arranged his executioners, whose robust, muscular, and partially nude bodies are captured at the moment of maximum physical effort: one, on the right, raises with both hands a heavy block of stone, while the central figure grabs the saint’s face to stabilize his posture before the final blow. On the left, in the foreground, male figures in Eastern dress and turbans observe the scene, a clear iconographic citation of the Sanhedrin priests and the elders of the people. In the celestial section, though partly curtailed by the neutral insert, one discerns clouds cleaved by cherubs and a hint of a radiant divine presence, a symbol of eternal glory ready to receive the protomartyr’s soul.

The stylistic characteristics of the work decisively orient its attribution toward a master operating within the studio or close circle of Francesco De Mura during the mid-18th century. The painting’s pictorial lexicon fully absorbs that transition from Solimene-style modes — monumental, dense and strongly chiaroscural — toward a softer, more fluid and elegant rendering, typical of De Mura’s maturity.

The composition’s progression, played on diagonal lines and the contrast between the vigor and almost theatricality of the torturers and the classical grace pervading the saint’s body, finds precise correspondences with Murano studio devotional and altarpiece production. The flesh-tone treatment of the right-hand torturer, defined by warm shadowing and clear yet fused light-dark transitions, closely evokes the formal solutions used in Naples’ grand sacred commissions of the master. The painting technique, though in some passages revealing a collaborator or an adept follower’s hand with less refined drawing, preserves a very high level of invention and a scenographic setup of evident Neapolitan matrice, confirming the work’s importance as a document of the widespread diffusion of Francesco De Mura’s models in 18th-century central-southern painting.

The work is documented on the Florentine antiquarian market, having been presented at Pandolfini, Florence, in the October 12, 2022 auction, lot 91, cataloged as “Neapolitan School, 17th century.” Subsequently, based on a re-examination of stylistic, compositional, and pictorial characteristics, the attribution was re-evaluated to Francesco De Mura’s circle. This later critical reading is coherent with the painting’s figurative language, attributable to the Neapolitan milieu of the mid-18th century and, more specifically, to the Murano circle, within which the work appears as a significant testimony to the diffusion and reworking of the master’s models.

Condition of the work is discreet, though marked by an important historical restoration and natural time-related alterations:
• The centinato lacuna: The most evident element is the large semi-circular loss in the upper part. The original canvas has been removed (likely in the past to adapt the painting to a niche or shaped frame) and the lacuna was filled with a neutral ground layer.
• Support and surface: The painting underwent an ancient lining intervention to consolidate the original canvas. The surface shows widespread craquelure due to aging, physiological and structurally stable, with no risk of color detachment.
• Varnish and color: The superficial protective layer appears oxidized and yellowed. This alteration dulls the original luminosity of the 18th-century palette, but the painted film remains overall sound and legible.

The canvas measures 102.5 x 69 cm. The painting has a slim wooden frame (frame measurements 106 x 73 x 4 cm, with defects). “The frame shown in the photos above has been added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided at no additional cost so that it is ready to display upon arrival. The frame is included as a courtesy and is not considered an integral part of the artwork. Therefore, any potential damage to the frame that does not affect the artwork itself will not be accepted as a valid reason to file a claim or cancel the order.”

provenance:
Florence, Pandolfini, 12 October 2022, lot 91 (as Neapolitan School, 17th century);
Private Collection

PUBLICATION:
INEDITA QUADRERIA, General Catalog of Paintings from the Intermidiart Gallery collection by Andrea Maggio, 2026 (pdf).

In the case of sale outside Italian territory, the buyer must wait for the processing times of export procedures.