Description
This small panel portrays the apostle Saint Bartholomew holding a knife, the traditional attribute of his martyrdom, and a book against a gold ground. His name is inscribed on either side of his head. The arched frame and punched halo display the refinement of early fourteenth-century Sienese painting.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art attributes the execution to Simone Martini’s workshop, probably after designs supplied by the master. The painting belonged to a series of apostles from a now-dismembered altarpiece.
Bartholomew’s attributes serve different purposes. The knife recalls the tradition of his martyrdom, while the book includes him among the apostles charged with transmitting the faith. The written name makes the identification explicit, especially useful in a group of small figures with similar clothing and formats. The artist thus combines an implied story, membership of a sacred community and an individual identity without disrupting the concentration of a nearly motionless bust.
