Artwork
Saint Bartholomew
Saint Bartholomew is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Maso da San Friano. It dates from 1561 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1561, the work titled Saint Bartholomew is an oil painting by the Florentine artist Maso da San Friano, born Tomaso D'Antonio Manzuoli in 1536. Executed during the artist’s early career, the piece is now part of the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland and exemplifies the religious subject matter common to his output in mid‑sixteenth‑century Florence.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents the apostle Bartholomew kneeling before a plain blue wall, his gaze solemn and his posture reverent. He clutches a flaying knife in his right hand, an attribute that recalls the saint’s traditional martyrdom narrative. The muted palette and restrained setting emphasize the contemplative nature of the figure’s devotion rather than dramatic action.
Technique & Style
Maso employs a restrained color scheme of greens, grays, and yellows, allowing the figure’s flesh tones to emerge against the cool background.
Maso employs a restrained color scheme of greens, grays, and yellows, allowing the figure’s flesh tones to emerge against the cool background. The brushwork is smooth, with careful modeling of the face and hands that conveys a quiet intensity. Architectural elements—two modest yellow columns framing the scene—are rendered with simple linear perspective, reflecting the early Renaissance emphasis on clarity and balance.
History & Provenance
After its completion in Florence, the painting entered private collections before being acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Maso da San Friano rests on stylistic analysis and documentary evidence linking the work to the artist’s known religious commissions of the 1560s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maso da San Friano (1536–1571) was an Italian painter active in Florence. His real name was Tomaso D'Antonio Manzuoli. He was born in San Friano and died in Florence.
