The Martyrdom of St Bartholomew, from The Martyrdom of Christ and the Apostles
c. 1578
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 20.8 × 28 cm (8 1/4 × 11 1/16 in.); sheet: 27.2 × 36.3 cm (10 3/4 × 14 5/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268177
Art Historical Context
In the late 16th century, engraver Hendrick Goltzi created *The Martyrdom of. Bartholomew*, part of his series *The Martyr of Christ and the Apostles around 1578. Goltzius, a master of Northern Mannerism, drew from Catholic iconography during the Dutch Reformation, depicting the apostle's gruesome flaying alive—a dramatic symbol of faith's endurance amid persecution. Printed on luxurious ivory laid paper, this (plate 20.8 × 28 cm) captures the intense religious fervor of Counter-Reformation art, making sacred narratives accessible beyond church walls. Goltzius's technical brilliance shines in...
About the Artist
Hendrick Goltzius · 1558–1617
Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) was the most celebrated engraver of the Northern Renaissance and a pivotal figure in Dutch Mannerism. Born near the German-Dutch border, Goltzius transformed printmaking into a virtuoso art form through his revolutionary 'swelling line' technique, where the burin was manipulated to create lines of varying thickness that produced unprecedented tonal effects and three-d...