Saint Bartholomew
1401 to 1500
Medium
woodcut
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.2868
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil halls of the National Gallery of, Lucas Cranach the Elder's *Saint Bartholomew* stands as a captivating example of early Northern Renaissance printmaking. Created between 1401 and 1500, this woodcut the Rosenwald Collection captures the apostle known for his dramatic martyrdom—flayed alive and often depicted holding his own skin. Cranach (1472–1553), a prolific German artist and favorite of the Saxon court, mastered woodcuts to spread religious imagery widely, bridging the gap between elite painting and everyday devotion. Woodcuts like this one revolutionized art by allowing a...
About the Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder · 1472–1553
Lucas Cranach the Elder (c. 1472-1553) was one of the most prominent German Renaissance painters and a key artistic figure of the Protestant Reformation. Born in Kronach, Franconia, to the painter Hans Maler, Cranach began his career in Vienna around 1502, where he became one of the founders of the Danube School, a movement characterized by expressive landscape painting and emotional force. His ea...