Da Spedale Della Misericordia, Predella 2, 4, Martirio Di S. Bartolomeo 1370

Curator: This tempera-on-wood predella panel from around 1370 depicts a grisly scene, titled "Da Spedale Della Misericordia, Predella 2, 4, Martirio Di S. Bartolomeo." Giovanni da Milano painted this for a larger altarpiece. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Stark. Almost brutally direct, wouldn't you say? The application of gold leaf is incredibly lavish, juxtaposed with the raw, unflinching depiction of martyrdom. It feels intentionally contradictory, a little shocking. Curator: Indeed. That tension between precious materials and graphic content is powerful. What does it suggest about its intended audience, the societal views that might have held in the 14th century? Gold signified the divine, while Saint Bartholomew's martyrdom reminds us of faith's cost. Editor: Exactly. We see this obsession with material wealth amongst powerful landowners in medieval art. How much wealth was poured into glorifying these martyrs while others suffered? Consider the layers involved—the cost of the pigments, the carpentry for the panel itself, the artist's labour. Someone invested heavily here. Curator: Very true. Look closer, and you can discern how he mixed pigments to create varying hues and gradations. The textures within this tiny scene are actually quite masterful for a devotional panel. There's a kind of agonizing beauty in the depiction, a fascination with violence and religious conviction. Editor: Absolutely, and the frame acts like another layer—the architectural forms mimicking real church architecture. It makes me think of labour. Was this panel part of a larger workshop output, perhaps even influencing similar imagery made at the time, traded locally or exported, making someone wealthier? Curator: A pertinent point. We may never know all its origins, all its journeys through time and hands. But that's partly why we study and protect such rare, preserved historical artworks. To glimpse our history. Editor: It serves as a potent, complicated visual document of power, skill, faith, and materials.