Saint Bartholomew
Jusepe de Ribera·1634
Historical Context
Saint Bartholomew in the Bavarian State Painting Collections, painted in 1634, depicts the apostle traditionally believed to have been martyred by flaying. Ribera painted Bartholomew repeatedly, drawn to the dramatic potential of his gruesome martyrdom. Ribera painted his saints with unflinching naturalism rooted in his early study of Caravaggio's Rome before settling in Naples in 1616. Working under Spanish viceregal patronage, he produced devotional images combining brutal physical realism ...
Technical Analysis
The apostle's robust figure and the knife attribute foreshadow his terrible fate. Ribera's bold naturalism and dramatic lighting create a compelling pre-martyrdom portrait.
