Apostel Bartolomeüs met mes 1517 - 1527

Marcantonio Raimondi created this engraving of the Apostle Bartholomew with a knife in the early 16th century. Raimondi lived in a time marked by religious change, particularly the rise of Protestantism, which questioned traditional Catholic iconography and saintly veneration. Here, Bartholomew is depicted with a halo, identifying him as a holy figure, and he holds a knife, the instrument of his martyrdom. Yet, the way he holds the knife close to his body suggests both vulnerability and resolve. The engraving captures the tension between the idealized image of a saint and the brutal reality of his death. What might it mean to present a figure of faith with such raw humanity? The work invites us to consider the human capacity for both belief and suffering, prompting reflections on faith, doubt, and the costs of conviction during a period of intense religious and social upheaval.