Aragonese school of the second half of the 15th century.

Aragonese school of the second half of the 15th century.
"Scenes from the life of St. Bartholomew".
Oil on panel, with gilded and embossed details.
Four scenes in two panels. It could belong to an altarpiece.
Measurements: 69.5 x 178 cm.

This set of four scenes painted on panel represents key episodes of the life and martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles, famous both for his preaching in distant lands and for the brutal character of his martyrdom, being flayed alive. The work belongs to the Aragonese school of the second half of the 15th century, a period of transition in peninsular painting in which the international Gothic language began to intertwine with incipient naturalistic influences, without completely abandoning the narrative and symbolic taste of the late Middle Ages. The scenes are distributed in vertical registers organized in pairs in what were probably two doors or doorsills of an altarpiece or liturgical piece of furniture. The upper scenes are framed by golden pointed arches flanked by pilasters, an architectural detail that visually segments the narrative and introduces the viewer into a symbolic space.

Of the four scenes, the Martyrdom of the Saint stands out for its symbolic expressiveness and visual strength: Bartholomew being flayed alive. Although the dramatism of the scene is evident, its representation remains within the medieval codes, without falling into the naturalism that the Renaissance would develop. The violence is represented in a synthetic and hierarchical way, concentrated in the aggressive gestures of the executioners and in the symbolism of the red color that stains the saint, in reference to the living flesh.

In the first scene, we see Bartholomew before King Astiages of Armenia: the apostle appears with beard, apostolic tunic and golden nimbus, symbol of his holiness. He stands before a sumptuously attired personage, while the servants seize him. The scene refers to his capture after preaching against idols, a common theme in medieval hagiographies.

The adjacent scene shows Bartholomew blessing the faithful. The saint extends a hand toward a group of figures dressed in late medieval fashion. There is no emphasis on the three-dimensional space, but on the gestures and the intense expression of the faces, which connects with the devotional spirit of the time. Finally, in the lower part, the fortified city is seen from the outside. The symbolism of the fortification alludes both to the spread of faith in pagan places and to the divine protection of the saint in a hostile land.

The painting responds to a linear, colorful and expressive style characteristic of late Hispanic Gothic. The figures are stylized and seek to communicate the spiritual through gestures. The use of color is bright and symbolic, reinforcing the idea of a sacred and timeless space. The firm and marked stroke is reminiscent of the work in illuminated manuscripts or miniatures, which could indicate the painter's training in an ecclesiastical or monastic environment.

The Aragonese school of the 15th century still drew from Franco-Gothic sources and the Italo-Gothic tradition, although it was beginning to receive echoes of Flemish and proto-Renaissance. This type of work was intended to educate and move the viewer, at a time when the image was an essential vehicle for the transmission of faith.