Statue of Saint Bartholomew

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This is a statue from Castelvecchio Museum, Verona, depicting Saint Bartholomew. He was one of Jesus' twelve apostles from ancient Judea. In some accounts, he's also known as Nathanael or Nathaniel, who met Jesus through Philip in the Gospel of John. However, many scholars disagree with this identification. The Synaxarium of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria notes that Bartholomew was martyred on the first day of the Coptic calendar, which falls on September 11th. Eastern Christians commemorate his martyrdom on June 11th, while the Roman Catholic Church honors him on August 24th. The Church of England and other Anglican churches also observe this date. In art, Bartholomew is typically depicted with a beard and curly hair at the time of his execution. Legends say he was skinned alive and beheaded, often shown holding his flayed skin or the curved knife used to skin him. St Bartholomew is the most well-known Christian martyr to have been flayed. During the 16th century, images of Bartholomew's flaying became so popular that they symbolized the saint in art. Consequently, Saint Bartholomew is often represented as being skinned alive. Symbols associated with him include knives and his skin, which he holds or drapes around his body. In some cases, he's depicted with a chained demon in Spanish paintings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_the_Apostle