Let us first read from the Acts of the Apostles:
"Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, [...] And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened [...]But they cried out with a loud voice and [...] cast him out of the city and stoned him."
This passage in the Bible is about the death of the first Christian martyr. Stephen was a pastor in the first Christian community in Jerusalem. He was later brought to trial for allegedly insulting God. As punishment, he was stoned.
The stoning takes place outside the gates of Jerusalem. You can see the city on the left of the picture. On the right, Stephen is kneeling and looking up into the sky, which is opening up for him. Some of the men have already thrown stones at Stephen, others are picking some up from the ground or have them in their hands to throw at Stephen straight away.
The Acts of the Apostles describes the moment like this:
“And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
The men stoning Stephen are dressed very differently. Some wear white turbans, others have long white beards and headscarves – they are the scribes from the Bible. Still others wear patterned trousers and look like European soldiers. Carpaccio shows not only people from Stephen's time, but also enemies who threatened Venice during his lifetime.
Carpaccio painted the picture for a lay brotherhood in Venice that also cared for poor people. The picture is from a series of five pictures. The pictures tell the life of Stephen.
You can view the four surviving images in the media guide. Pay particular attention to the light: Stephen's ordination takes place in the bright morning light, his sermon at midday, his speech before the High Council in the afternoon and the stoning at sunset.