The Funeral of St. Stephen 1460

Filippo Lippi painted this fresco of ‘The Funeral of St. Stephen’ in Italy during the Early Renaissance. Here, the death of the early Christian martyr is envisioned through a contemporary lens. The setting itself is intriguing: the use of classical columns and arches in the interior suggests a reference to ancient Roman architecture, but the mourners are all dressed in Florentine Renaissance garb. This visual blending of different eras and cultures creates a complex set of meanings. It situates Christian history within a grand sweep of time, associating the sanctity of the early church with the cultural and intellectual achievements of the classical world. At the same time, it presents the present, Florence of the 1450s, as the inheritor of both. To truly understand this painting, we might turn to period texts on theology, historical accounts of the early church, or even architectural treatises. Only then can we appreciate how the painting participates in broader cultural conversations about history, religion, and the place of Florence in the world.