St Bartholomew Apostle 18C Oil Painting Mexican Colonial School

Description

St Bartholomew Apostle 18C Oil Painting Mexican Colonial School

We present to you an authentic gem of 18th-century Mexican colonial art: an impressive large-format oil painting on canvas depicting the Apostle Bartholomew. This masterpiece captures the essence of the colonial era in Mexico and the religious devotion that characterized life at that time.

The creator of this work, whose name has been lost to history, bequeathed us an exceptional piece of art. The pictorial style reflects the influence of the colonial school, with its meticulous attention to detail and masterful use of oil to achieve light and shadow effects that enhance the dramatization of the scene.

The painting of 'Saint Bartholomew the Apostle' in his moment before being flayed is a striking and moving representation of his martyrdom. His arms tied to a post above his head, his body drenched in blood, and his solemn expression with tears on his cheeks create a powerful image that conveys the devotion and religious passion of the era.

This work bears the inscription 'Bartholomeus' in the lower left corner. In the colonial era in Mexico, there were several reasons why religious paintings rarely carried artists' signatures. The Christian faith played a fundamental role in colonial society, and religious works were considered means to propagate that faith and devotion, so the recognition of the author took a backseat.

Furthermore, the organization of work in workshops where multiple artists collaborated made it difficult to identify an individual author. Colonial artists also didn't enjoy the same recognition as their European counterparts; they were often viewed as craftsmen whose work was valued more for its technical skill than its artistic originality.

These reasons converged to make most colonial religious paintings lack signatures. Today, an artist's signature is a valuable element in the evaluation of a work of art, but back then, the religious significance of the painting outweighed the importance of the signature.