H. Bartolomeüs c. 1596 - 1652

Zacharias Dolendo made this engraving of H. Bartolomeüs in the Netherlands in the late 16th century, a time of great religious upheaval. The image is part of a series depicting apostles, identifiable by their distinct attributes. Here, Saint Bartholomew holds a knife, referring to the instrument of his martyrdom. The print was produced during the Counter-Reformation, when the Catholic Church sought to reaffirm its authority in the face of Protestantism. Images of saints played a crucial role, serving as devotional objects that would reinforce Catholic doctrine. Printmaking enabled the mass production of imagery, meeting a growing demand among the rising merchant class. To understand images like this, historians investigate the socio-political context of their production and reception. By analyzing the distribution of prints and consulting religious texts, we can better understand the role of art in shaping religious identity during this turbulent period.