Spanish school; 17th century.“San Bartolomé”.Oil on canvas. Relined.It presents faults and repainting.Measurements: 74,5 x 60,5 cm.Bartholomew was one of the apostles of Jesus, and he is mentioned in the Gospels always in the company of Philip. According to John, in whose Gospel he appears under the name of Nathanael, he was one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared in the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was also a witness to Jesus' ascension. The tradition recorded by Eusebius of Caesarea recounts that Bartholomew went to preach the Gospel in India, where he left a copy of Matthew's Gospel in Aramaic. Armenian tradition also attributes to him the preaching of Christianity in the Caucasus country, together with Saint Jude Thaddeus, and both are considered patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Their martyrdom and death are attributed to Astiages, king of Armenia and brother of King Polymius, whom the saint had converted to Christianity. When the priests of the pagan temples, who were running out of followers, protested to Astiages about Bartholomew's evangelising work, the ruler sent for him and ordered him to worship their idols, just as he had done with his brother. When the saint refused, the king ordered him to be flayed alive in his presence until he renounced God or died. The image of Saint Bartholomew has undergone few modifications throughout the history of art, and it is common to depict the saint at the moment of martyrdom. Thus, he is usually depicted being flayed, either on a rack or tied to a tree. He has also been depicted working miracles: resurrecting the sons of King Polymius and freeing his daughter, who was possessed by the devil. On rare occasions he is depicted being scourged. He is sometimes depicted with a large knife, alluding to his martyrdom, according to which he was flayed alive, which is why he is the patron saint of tanners. In connection with his martyrdom, he is also sometimes shown skinned, his skin being held on his arm as if it were a piece of clothing.The work has similarities in its composition and execution to some pieces by Francisco Herrera the Elder (Seville, 1573-1656), such as his work of Saint Peter, where a very similar treatment can be seen; the saint in the foreground, against an indeterminate background, portrayed with a long bust, holding his iconographic attribute. Francisco Herrera began his training alongside Francisco Pacheco, but Herrera soon broke with the timid style and Italian traditions of Spanish painting of his day, and became the pioneer of a bold, vigorous, effective and natural style. Herrera was the first to use long brushes, which may, in part, explain his "modern" technique and skilful brushstroke. His great talent brought him many pupils, whom his fiery temperament and rough manners soon drove away. Velázquez, at the age of thirteen, was placed in charge of this great teacher, and remained with him for a year. Herrera's paintings are full of energy, the drawing is impeccable and the colouring so skilfully handled that the figures stand out in splendid relief. Many of his small easel paintings, in oil, depict fairs, dances, inn interiors and deal with the intimate life of Spain. His large works are almost all religious. In Seville he painted a "Saint Peter" for the cathedral and a "Last Judgement" for the Church of San Bernardo, the latter being considered his masterpiece. After executing numerous commissions in his native city he moved to Madrid (1650), where he achieved great renown, but finally returned to Seville.