Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew - Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

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Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew

Anonymous, Aragonese

Second half of the 15th century

Tempera on panel

80.5 x 65 cm

c. 1450-1480

15th century. Second half

69/53

Acquired in 1959

After his conversion to Christianity, Astiages, the brother of Polymius and his successor to the throne, ordered that Saint Bartholomew be tortured, and after delivering a harsh blow, he was skinned alive, a moment captured on this panel. The saint is stretched over an elongated wooden bench with his feet and arms tied as his executioners tear off his skin in strips.

The perspective is achieved through the converging lines of the bench on which Saint Bartholomew is resting, along with those on the floor, which recede towards the background. Some figures have their heads covered with different types of hats, such as a simple ushanka hat and a fleece or tufted hat.

The figures boast serene nobility as they are soberly arranged, at times somewhat realistically, especially in the intricate details of some fabrics.

The composition is arranged on diagonal lines, so we see that the artist had some kind of compositional repertoire. In its colours, red, green and ochre tones stand out. Gilding is applied on Saint Bartholomew's halo and on the clothing of the figure standing on the right behind one of the executioners. (Ana Galilea)

Selected bibliography

  • Post, Chandler Rathfon. A History of Spanish Painting. Harvard, Harvard University Press, 1930-1966. Vol. VII, Part. I, pp. 142-145.
  • Lasterra, Crisanto de. Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : catálogo descriptivo : sección de arte antiguo. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 1969. p. 25, n° cat. 53. (Con el título Martirio de San Bartolomé, y atribuido a Arnaut Castelnou de Navalles)
  • Galilea Antón, Ana María. Catalogación y estudio de los fondos de Pintura Española del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao del siglo XIII al XVIII (de 1270 a 1700) [tesis inédita]. 1993. pp. 275-277. (Con el título Martirio de San Bartolomé, y atribuido a Anónimo aragonés de la segunda mitad del siglo XV)
  • Galilea Antón, Ana María. Catalogación y estudio de los fondos de Pintura Española del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao del siglo XIII al XVIII (de 1270 a 1700) [tesis inédita]. 1993. p. 145, fig. 91. (Con el título 'Martirio de San Bartolomé', y como Anónimo Aragonés de la segunda mitad del siglo XV)
  • Galilea Antón, Ana María. "La colección de Pintura Española anterior a 1700 en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao", Urtekaria 1994 : asterlanak, albistak = Anuario 1994 : estudios, crónicas. 1995. pp. 21, 24, 41. (Con el título Martirio de San Bartolomé, y atribuido a ANÓNIMO ARAGONÉS DE LA SEGUNDA MITAD DEL SIGLO XV)..
  • Galilea Antón, Ana María. La pintura gótica española en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : catálogo. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 1995. pp. 186-187. (Con el título ”Martirio de San Bartolomé”, y como Anónimo aragonés de la segunda mitad del siglo XV)