Jusepe (José) de Ribera (1591-1652), called Lo Spagnoletto - The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew

Etching and engraving.

Fine impression on laid paper with watermark (leur-de-lis within a circle).

The martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew was a popular subject in Counter–Reformation Italy and Spain. Ribera's print portrays the apostle's gruesome final moments as he is flayed alive. The composition is indicative of Ribera's delight in the horrors of human cruelty; his naturalistic forms combining with the complex and varied emotions of those portrayed to create a moving account of the saint's martyrdom. Saint Bartholomew, tied to a broken tree, gazes skyward toward the martyr's crown and palm frond, which are proffered by heavenly hands breaking through the dark clouds. His open mouth and wide eyes convey a sense of divine communion, as he accepts his fate without struggle. By contrast, the executioner, his feet firmly planted, clenches the knife between his teeth, business-like and wholly focused on his gory task. Behind him, a soldier gazes out toward the viewer, drawing us into the composition. A younger executioner is seen in shadow on the left.

References: Bartsch XX.81.6; Brown 1989.12.

Condition report: Trimmed inside the platemark, with the lower inscription missing. Tears, defects, small stains and folds.