Saint Bartholomew

Andrea di Bonaiuto depicted Saint Bartholomew in this panel around 1365, showing the apostle with his traditional attribute of the flaying knife, a reference to his martyrdom by being skinned alive. As a painter closely associated with the Dominican order in Florence, Andrea di Bonaiuto created numerous altarpiece panels featuring individual saints arranged within polyptych structures. This image of Bartholomew would have served as one wing of a larger devotional ensemble.

Painted in egg tempera on gold-ground panel, the saint is presented in a characteristic standing pose with clear identifying attributes and richly colored drapery. The firm, architectural quality of the figure reflects Andrea di Bonaiuto's training as a monumental painter accustomed to working at large scale.