Hl. Bartholomäus

The holy apostle, already grey, holds his attribute—the knife—in his hand. According to legend, he was skinned alive. Set against a dark background and lit by an external source, parts of his heavily wrinkled face and his hands stand out distinctly; his spotless robe seems to glow. The fundamental traits of the painting are in keeping with the ‘Bartholomew’ executed by Ribera now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.