The Stoning of Saint Stephen

Lomi employed chalk for initial contours, then layered pen and ink for definition, adding oil paint to model forms with subtle gradations. The use of chiaroscuro—contrasting light and shadow—gives the figures a sculptural presence, enhancing volume and spatial depth. Warm earth tones dominate the palette, while cooler blues in the background recede, creating atmospheric perspective and focusing attention on the central drama.

The drawing was likely made as a preparatory study for a larger altarpiece or fresco, though no finished painting by Lomi on this subject is known to survive. It remained in private collections in Tuscany before entering the National Gallery of Art’s holdings. Its survival as a standalone work reflects its artistic significance and the value placed on preparatory drawings in early 17th-century Italian workshops.

Lomi worked in Pisa during a period when artists were absorbing the naturalism of Caravaggio and the dynamism of late Mannerism. This drawing reflects those influences through its dramatic lighting and crowded composition. Religious subjects like Stephen’s martyrdom were common in Counter-Reformation Italy, where visual narratives were used to inspire devotion and reinforce doctrinal truths.

Though Lomi is less widely known than his contemporaries, this drawing stands as a refined example of Florentine-Pisan draftsmanship at the turn of the 17th century. Its technical precision and emotional gravity offer insight into how artists translated biblical narratives into compelling visual forms, influencing regional practices even as larger movements like Baroque painting gained prominence.