Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew Engraving

Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew after Ribera engraved by Alphonse Masson (1814-1898).

This engraving by Alphonse Masson (1814-1898) is based on an oil on canvas produced in 1644 by the Spanish-born painter José de Ribera, himself an engraver. This late-period work is currently housed in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Religious subjects were dear to the artist's heart, and the torments of martyrs were numerous in his repertoire. Taken from La Légende dorée by Jacques de Voragine, the torture of Saint Barthélémy is featured in this engraving. In the foreground, an upside-down classical round-bosse lies on the ground, foreshadowing the scene unfolding in the background. It also heralds the triumph of Christianity over pagan idols. The almost naked Apostle Bartholomew stares at the viewer as he is flayed alive by two priests.

The painter's taste for pictorial realism, drama and humble characters is evident in this work.

Ribera stayed in Rome from 1605-1606, a period that marked the rest of his Neapolitan career, where from 1616 he developed and appropriated the Caravaggesque codes that he had previously assimilated in the Eternal City.