A Bishop Saint

Bartolomé Bermejo likely learned his meticulous oil-painting technique by studying Netherlandish works imported into his native Spain. Colored pigments become translucent when mixed with oil, necessitating many thin layers to be built up that result in rich colors, like the green jacquard lining this saint’s vestments, and radiant light effects, as seen in his jewel-encrusted miter. This captivating realism went hand in hand with a strategy in Netherlandish art called disguised symbolism, which imbued everyday objects with sacred meaning. Here, for example, the three-horned snail that appears as a decorative detail carved into the arm of the wooden seat is also a symbol of Christ’s Resurrection.