Artwork
Saint Bartholomew
Saint Bartholomew is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hendrik Goltzius. It dates from 1589 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Around 1589 Hendrick Goltzius, a German‑born artist active in the Dutch Republic, produced an engraving entitled Saint Bartholomew. Executed in the print medium, the image presents a solitary figure rendered with intricate line work, set against a dark, textured backdrop that suggests clouds or a draped curtain.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is identified as Saint Bartholomew, a biblical apostle, by his contemplative pose, curly hair, beard, and the Latin inscription at the lower edge: “Ascendit ad cœlos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis,” indicating his heavenly ascent and seated place at the right hand of the Almighty Father.
Technique & Style
Goltzius employed the traditional engraving process, incising fine lines into a metal plate to achieve delicate gradations of tone. His handling of hatching creates subtle shadows that model the skin and draped cloth, producing a three‑dimensional illusion characteristic of Northern Mannerist precision and the early Baroque emphasis on virtuoso draftsmanship.
History & Provenance
The print emerged during Goltzius’s mature period, when he was recognized as the foremost Dutch engraver. Although specific ownership records are scarce, the work circulated among collectors of religious prints in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, reflecting the artist’s reputation for elaborate compositions.
Context
Saint Bartholomew belongs to a broader corpus of devotional imagery produced in the Netherlands after the Reformation, when print media served both private piety and the dissemination of Catholic iconography. Goltzius’s engagement with such subjects aligns with the era’s complex religious landscape and the demand for finely crafted visual narratives.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hendrick Goltzius (German: , Dutch: ; né Goltz; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter.
