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Saint Stephen
About the Artwork
This sculpture, along with that of Saint Lawrence (1959.42) and two others in Germany, are believed to be the remaining fragments of a large altarpiece carved by Riemenschneider for the Dominican convent in Rothenburg in Franconia (demolished in 1813). Saints Stephen and Lawrence both wear the dalmatic to indicate their status as deacons in the early church. Each holds a symbol of his martyrdom; here, Saint Stephen cradles some stones to indicate his death by stoning. Art in Germany through the early 1500s remained firmly anchored in the late Gothic style with its associated interests in realism. Riemenschneider was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of this style, a recognized master in both stone and wood. His flourishing workshop employed as many as 40 apprentices in sculpting, woodcarving, and painting. His sculptures are noted for the dreamy, melancholy, and introspective quality in their expressions, as well as their remarkable attention to detail.
Provenance
Richard von Passavant-Gontard, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany C. von Pannwitz, Bennebroek, The Netherlands ?-1959: (Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1959-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Exhibition history
Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975). Tilman Riemenschneider: Master Sculptor of the Late Middle Ages. National Gallery of Art, Landover, MD (organizer) (October 3, 1999-January 9, 2000); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (February 7-May 14, 2000).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Tilman Riemenschneider (German, active Würzburg, c. 1460–1531)
- Date
- 1502–8
- Medium
- lindenwood with polychromy and gilding
- Dimensions
- Overall: 93.5 x 35 x 23.5 cm (36 13/16 x 13 3/4 x 9 1/4 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Department
- Medieval Art
- Credit line
- Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
- Accession no.
- 1959.43
More by Tilman Riemenschneider in museum collections
Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt)
Tilman Riemenschneiderc. 1495 · Sculpture
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 7, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00000284
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