Saint Bartholomew
Artist: Bartolomeo Caporali (Italian, c. 1420 - c. 1505)
Original Dimensions: 48 3/8" x 19 1/4"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (Probably 1475-80) "A bearded saint stands on a marble parapet against a shimmering gold background. This is Saint Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles, the first disciples of Christ. He was skinned alive – the flaying knife is his attribute, the symbol associated with him. He was once part of a triptych (a painting in three parts) that was probably made by Bartolomeo Caporali. Bartholomew gazes out at us, his robe wrapped around him in deep sculptural folds. His bent knee and turned out feet give him a feeling of solidity, as does the shadow he casts on the marble. But the illusion of reality is contrasted with the intricately decorated burnished gold background. Caporali was known for doing gilding work and making coats of arms, banners and decorations for ceremonies. The fine incised lines in the saint’s halo and the elaborate curling foliage behind him would have caught the light in a dim medieval church." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

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