Assumption of the Virgin with St. Stephen and St. Paul

This Catalonian altarpiece group (16th c.) depicts the Virgin’s Assumption, borne upward by playful putti whose tender presence offsets the solemnity of the scene. At her sides stand St. Stephen, youthful deacon and protomartyr with a book, and St. Paul, bearded apostle with a scroll, emblem of doctrine. Gilded drapery and faces marked by sorrow and pain merge Renaissance artistry with devotional intensity, guiding contemplation of salvation.