Apostel Bartolomeüs met mes 1517 - 1527

Curator: Ah, another Renaissance gem. Here we have “Apostle Bartholomew with Knife,” an engraving made between 1517 and 1527, attributed to Marcantonio Raimondi. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how…direct it is. He's there, stark, with his knife. There's a certain unvarnished quality, like a dream remembered in sharp, clear lines, almost unsettling in its simplicity. Curator: The choice of Bartholomew is interesting, wouldn't you say? His traditional attribute, the flaying knife, reminds us of the gruesome details of martyrdom – but depicted in this way? It makes one wonder... Editor: Absolutely. The knife is not brandished threateningly; it's held almost… nonchalantly. It’s a tool, a signifier, rather than a weapon in that instant. He has a calmness despite it, as though it is something that cannot harm his faith. The halo, of course, reinforces this sense of the saint existing beyond the threat of the earthly. Curator: Considering the history of the Italian Renaissance, the revival of classical art forms, one may notice how Raimondi rendered a dignified representation while still embracing religious narrative and symbolism. Note his one bare foot! It feels human. Editor: Yes! And that human element amidst the divine is what anchors the piece for me. The drapery, classic but plain, contributes to the tension – between saintly representation and ordinary humanity. Almost a prototype of a revolutionary ready to die for the cause, holding high the flag. Curator: And the linear precision – a hallmark of engraving. Each stroke deliberately placed… it has a unique visual language. The lines that sculpt his robes create shadow, depth, the sense of form… Editor: Looking closer at his face I see more, more than the marks of age, almost a resignation mixed with resolve. It becomes almost a caricature, as if time has exaggerated him and now he accepts the role of icon. This makes me think about identity. Curator: True… it's all wonderfully concentrated within a very small space! Thank you for your considerations, I believe we have shed new light on the power of iconography in religious representations. Editor: The layers of time embedded here are immense. From the saint, to the engraving process itself. An early premonition of revolution; a reminder that the symbolic bleeds into our present.