Saint Bartholomew

myminifactory

This is a statue of Saint Bartholomew, a renowned apostle from ancient Judea who was one of Jesus' twelve trusted followers. He has also been identified as Nathanael or Nathaniel, a name that appears in the Gospel of John when Philip introduces him to Jesus, although many modern scholars question whether Nathanael and Bartholomew are indeed the same person. According to the Synaxarium of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Saint Bartholomew's martyrdom is commemorated on September 11, which corresponds to August 29 in the Julian calendar. Eastern Christianity honors him on June 11 and the Roman Catholic Church observes his feast day on August 24, as do the Church of England and other Anglican churches. In art, Bartholomew is often depicted with a beard and curly hair at the time of his martyrdom, when he was allegedly skinned alive and beheaded. As a result, he is commonly shown holding his flayed skin or the curved knife used to skin him, making him the most prominent flayed Christian martyr in history. During the 16th century, images of Bartholomew's martyrdom became so popular that they came to symbolize the saint in works of art. Consequently, Saint Bartholomew is often depicted being skinned alive, with symbols associated with the saint including knives and his skin, which he may hold or drape around his body. In Spanish painting, it is common for Bartholomew to be depicted with a chained demon, while Michelangelo's Last Judgment shows him holding both the knife used to skin him and his own skin. Representations of Saint Bartholomew in art often feature knives with silver blades and gold handles on a red background, as seen in ancient heralds. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_the_Apostle