"Saint Bartholomew". Carved, gilded and polychromed sculpture. Castilian School. Burgos. Felipe Bigarny Circle. ...

"Saint Bartholomew". Carved, gilded and polychromed sculpture. Castilian School. Burgos. Felipe Bigarny Circle. First third of the 16th century.
a Parrado del Olmo notes in his report on this piece:
“It is difficult to ascribe this piece to a particular Master. It could have formed part of the side of a reredos or maybe would have been almost freestanding in a flat niche, as shown by the flat shape of the back and the little depth in its dimensions. Normally in Spanish sculptures of altarpieces the sculptures that went in niches were not carved on the back because that part would not have been on view, but the sides were sculpted to give the impression of a free-standing sculpture if seen from a lateral viewpoint. Only the back part could be hollowed out.
In contrast, this sculpture is in rigorous high relief, both due to the small measurements of its depth as well as the aforementioned flatness of the front.
The sculpture has some archaic elements for a 16th century piece, both in the way of executing the head, with an elongated face and serpentine beard, as well as the summary carving of its folds. There are similarities to Bigarny, in the superficial assimilation of certain elements of the Siloé aesthetic.
For these reasons, I consider that this would have been created in Burgos in the first third of the 16th century, by a Master unknown to the Felipe Bigarny circle. "
83 x 34 x 18 cm.