Spanish school; XVII century."San Esteban".Oil on copper.It presents chips and an adapted 19th century frame.Measures: 13 x 10 cm; 20 x 17 cm (frame).The deacon Stephen, whose name means crown, was the first martyr of the Christian faith. He was stoned by the Jews, who accused him of blaspheming Moses. According to a 10th century manuscript dedicated to his biography, on the day he was born he was snatched away by Satan, who replaced him in his cradle with a small demon. He then left the child girdled at the door of a bishop named Julion, who discovered the child being suckled by a white doe and adopted him. Some time later Stephen returned to his father's house, and with the sign of the cross expelled the demon that occupied his place. Ordained deacon by the apostles, he argued with the Jewish rhetoricians, who had him arrested and condemned for blasphemy to death by stoning. Regarding his patronages, he belongs to the category of holy healers, and was considered to have the power to heal ringworm. Because of the stones from his stoning, he was invoked against stones and headaches. In Germanic countries, the legend attributed him to have been the stableman of King Herod, so he was considered the patron saint of horses, coachmen and drivers. He was also the patron of slingers, because of his stoning. St. Stephen has as main attributes, from the 15th century, a book or a sheet and the stones of his stoning, as we see here.