Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. After the Ascension, it’s said the saint traveled to the east, and then onto Greater Armenia. According to traditional hagiography, he was flayed and beheaded there for converting the king to Christianity. Other accounts attest that after his flaying, Bartholomew was crucified. Due to this grisly tale, Saint Bartholomew is often depicted alongside his flayed skin (or severed head) in art, including “The Last Judgment” by Michelangelo. Sixteenth-century Italian sculptor Marco d’Agrate however, depicted him in a much more…
