Artwork
The Funeral of Saint Stephen
The Funeral of Saint Stephen is a drawing by the Renaissance artist Filippo Lippi. It dates from 1460 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
You see a crowd of people gathered around a body laid on the ground, hands clasped in grief.
You see a crowd of people gathered around a body laid on the ground, hands clasped in grief.
This isn’t a finished painting—it’s a rare sketch from the 1400s. Most drawings from this time were quick studies of faces or fabric. This one shows Lippi planning a whole scene, which makes it special. The lines are loose but confident, like he’s thinking out loud on paper.
If you want to see more like this, look up *italy, florence, 15th century*.
Overview
The Funeral of Saint Stephen is a rare drawing from 15th-century Italy, a period from which few drawings survive. Created by Fra Filippo Lippi, it is a compositional study, showcasing the artist's planning process for a larger work.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a mourning crowd gathered around the body of Saint Stephen, whose hands are clasped together. The scene conveys a sense of grief and solemnity, capturing a moment of communal sorrow.
Technique & Style
Characterized by loose yet confident lines, the drawing reveals Lippi's thought process as he developed the composition. The sketchy quality of the work suggests a spontaneous and exploratory approach to planning the arrangement of figures in his art.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Fra Filippo Lippi through stylistic comparison with his other works, the drawing is linked to a fresco painting of the same subject by the artist, confirming its authenticity.
Artist & collection
Artist
Filippo Lippi (c. 1406 – 8 October 1469), also known as Lippo Lippi, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Quattrocento (fifteenth century) and a Carmelite priest. He was an early Renaissance master of a painting…
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