Apostel Bartholomeus 1570 - 1600

Editor: This is Johann Sadeler I’s engraving, "Apostel Bartholomeus," dating from sometime between 1570 and 1600. The stark contrast and fine lines create a somber, almost unsettling mood. What social or political contexts do you think shaped its creation? Curator: The figure of Saint Bartholomew, flayed alive in some accounts, immediately demands we consider representations of martyrdom and suffering in the late 16th century. Printmaking allowed for wide dissemination of such images. But I’m curious, does the way he holds the flaying knife—almost contemplatively—suggest anything to you? Editor: It makes me think about the complex relationship between the victim and the instrument of torture, maybe even a reluctant acceptance of fate? But given the widespread religious conflict at the time, couldn’t it also be a subtle commentary on the violence enacted during the Reformation? Curator: Precisely! Religious iconography at this time was loaded. Think about how artists subtly challenged or reinforced dominant ideologies. The act of printing itself granted a certain level of agency. It moved art beyond elite circles, enabling new interpretations among different social classes and perhaps even questioning established power structures. Consider also, how this single image interacts with broader narratives of persecution across different social groups at the time. Editor: So, the image is not just a religious depiction but a node in a complex web of socio-political meanings? Curator: Exactly. We have to see the image as acting *within* history, participating in ongoing debates about faith, power, and the very definition of what it meant to be human during that era. What felt static before suddenly seems very alive. Editor: I'll never look at religious art the same way again! Curator: Hopefully, you'll see how the past speaks so directly to the present through this image.