Artwork
Saint Bartholomew
Saint Bartholomew is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Peter Paul Rubens. It dates from 1610 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Rubens emphasizes the saint’s contemplative gaze and the delicate rendering of his drapery to convey both spiritual introspection and physical vulnerability.
The painting shows the Apostle Bartholomew holding a knife, a traditional attribute that identifies his martyrdom after his execution by flaying. Rubens emphasizes the saint’s contemplative gaze and the delicate rendering of his drapery to convey both spiritual introspection and physical vulnerability. The work was created in 1610 for the Spanish royal collection and later entered the holdings of Ferdinand VII, Charles III, and Philip V, reflecting its significance within the royal patronage network. Its composition combines Baroque dynamism with meticulous detail, reinforcing the theological narrative of sacrifice and devotion.
Technique & Style
Saint Bartholomew is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for Peter Paul Rubens's religious commissions of this period. The work measures 107 cm in height by 82.5 cm in width, a vertical format suited to a single half-length devotional figure.
Stylistically, the painting belongs to Rubens's Baroque religious idiom of 1610, presenting the apostle with the iconographic attribute of the knife that signifies his martyrdom. The composition centers on the figure of Bartholomew the Apostle, treated as the main subject, consistent with the devotional function of such panels in Spanish royal collections.
History & Provenance
Peter Paul Rubens created the oil-on-canvas painting Saint Bartholomew in 1610. The work depicts the apostle holding a knife and belongs to the religious art genre. Its creation history is linked to the Spanish royal collection, having been owned successively by Philip V of Spain, Elisabeth Farnese, Charles III of Spain, and Ferdinand VII of Spain.
The painting is currently held by the Museo del Prado, with records indicating it has also been associated with the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.
The work Saint Bartholomew is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it is recorded under the inventory number P00968. Its provenance includes ownership by Ferdinand VII of Spain, Charles III of Spain, Elisabeth Farnese, and Philip V of Spain before entering the museum's collection. The painting has been part of exhibitions at the Museo del Prado, reflecting its significance within the institution's displays of Baroque religious art.
Context
Peter Paul Rubens created the 1610 oil painting Saint Bartholomew, a religious work depicting the Apostle holding a knife. Executed on canvas, the piece measures 107 cm in height and 82.5 cm in width. The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Spain.
Historically, the painting entered the Spanish royal holdings, having been owned by monarchs including Philip V, Charles III, Elisabeth Farnese, and Ferdinand VII.
Overview
Created in 1610 by the Flemish painter and diplomat Peter Paul Rubens, this oil on canvas portrays Saint Bartholomew. Executed in the dramatic idiom of the Flemish Baroque, the composition centers on a solitary, aged figure whose solemn expression and muted palette draw the viewer’s focus. The work now belongs to the Museo del Prado’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ROO-bənz; Dutch:; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat.
