Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

Painted in the Hispano-Flemish style, this panel forms a set with Our Lady of the Rosary from the altarpiece of the Church of San Pablo in Zaragoza. It portrays an image of Saint Bartholomew with the supposed attributes of his martyrdom: the knife used to flay him and a chained demon, which is linked to the time he cast out a demon from a temple. The iconography related to the saint's martyrdom is based on a legend. Eastern tradition insists that he would have been crucified, drowned, or decapitated. However, given the number of apostles who died in those ways, the hagiographers, who wrote the biographies of the saints, opted for flaying instead—a more unusual form of martyrdom. A decorative border at the top of the panel with motifs of plants and flowers imitates brocade. This can also be seen in the companion panels of Saint Stephen and Our Lady of the Rosary.