St. Bartholomew

The saint stands prominently in the foreground, draped in heavy robes and leaning against a stone plinth. Behind him, a narrative scene shows his skin being stripped away by executioners before a seated ruler, while an angel strikes down a statue of a pagan deity atop a tall column. The composition uses dramatic Mannerist proportions and intricate cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and physical presence.

Hendrick Goltzius was a central figure in the Haarlem Mannerist circle, whose work bridged the gap between traditional religious iconography and the complex, often hermetic allegories of the late Renaissance. This print reflects the 16th-century fascination with anatomical detail and the 'stripping away' of the physical to reveal spiritual truth, a theme often explored in the natural philosophy and spiritualist circles of the Netherlands.