Saint Bartholomew flayed (1562) by Marco d'AgrateVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
The south transept of Milan Duomo houses one of the most captivating artworks in the story of the Monument. It is a statue depicting Saint Bartholomew flayed, by sculptor Marco d'Agrate, from the second half of the 16th century.
It was made in 1562 by the Lombard sculptor Marco d'Agrate and represents the fisherman Bartholomew, one of Christ's Apostles sent out to preach his word throughout the world. According to tradition, Bartholomew went as far as Armenia, where he converted King Polimius, his wife, and twelve entire cities to the Christian faith. These conversions aroused the envy of the priests of the local divinities, who set Astiage, brother of Polimius, against him.
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Originally placed outside the Duomo, the sculpture was the moved inside the Cathedral, to its current location–the south transept–in 1664.
Saint Bartholomew flayed (1562) by Marco d'AgrateVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
At the base of the work a later epigraph celebrates the mastery of the artist, making it a real "talking" sculpture - NON ME PRAXITELES SED MARC(US) FINXIT AGRATIS - PRAXITELES DID NOT SCULPT ME, BUT RATHER MARCO D'AGRATE.
An evocative and "animated" statue: the sculpture is characterised by the particular attention paid to the anatomy and by the emphasis on the martyr's body, without skin, which slides behind his back like a robe.
Saint Bartholomew is represented with a tunic–a macabre detail, given that it is made from his own skin and draped over him–with a dagger in his hand, the instrument of his martyrdom, and the Gospel.
The nerves and muscle fibers are tense, perfectly visible and outlined by the skillful hand of the sculptor, marble is used for the meticulous anatomical description, in the style typical of the period.
Read more on Milan Cathedral Remixed.
