Jusepe de Ribera (1591 – 1652) was a painter and
printmaker
Printmaking is the process of creating work of art, artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand proce ...
, who along with
Francisco de Zurbarán
Francisco de Zurbarán ( , ; baptized 7 November 1598 – 27 August 1664) was a Spanish Painting, painter. He is known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and for his still-lifes. Zurbarán gained the nicknam ...
,
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ( , ; late December 1617, baptized January 1, 1618April 3, 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporar ...
, and the singular
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of th ...
, are regarded as the major artists of
Spanish Baroque painting
Spanish Baroque painting refers to the style of painting which developed in Spain throughout the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century. The style appeared in early 17th century paintings, and arose in response to Mannerist distort ...
. Referring to a series of Ribera exhibitions held in the late 20th century,
Philippe de Montebello wrote "If Ribera's status as the undisputed protagonist of Neapolitan painting had ever been in doubt, it was not longer. Indeed, to many it seemed that Ribera emerged from these exhibitions as not simply the greatest Neapolitan artist of his age but one of the outstanding European masters of the seventeenth century."
[Pérez-Sánchez, Alfonso E., and Nicola Spinosa. 1992. ]
Jusepe de Ribera 1519–1652
'. The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York. 290 pp, Jusepe de Ribera () has also been referred to as José de Ribera, Josep de Ribera, and Lo Spagnoletto ("the Little Spaniard") by his contemporaries, early historians, and biographers.
Ribera created
history painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...
s, including traditional Biblical subjects and episodes from
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
, but he is perhaps best known for his numerous views of
martyrdom
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...
, which at times are brutal scenes depicting bound saints and
satyr
In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, :wikt:σάτυρος, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, :wikt:Σειληνός, σειληνός ), is a male List of nature deities, nature spirit with ears ...
s as they are flayed or crucified in agony. Less familiar are his occasional, but accomplished portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. Nearly half of his surviving work consist of half length portraits of workers and beggars, often older individuals in ragged clothes, posing as various philosophers, saints, apostles, and allegorical figures. Ribera's paintings, particularly his early work, are characterized by stark realism using a
chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...
or
tenebrous style. His later work embraced a greater use of color, softer light, and more complex compositions, although he never entirely abandoned his
Caravaggisti
The Caravaggisti (or the "Caravagesques") were stylistic followers of the late 16th-century Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio. His influence on the new Baroque style that eventually emerged from Mannerism was profound. Caravaggio never establish ...
leanings.
Very little is known about the first 20 years of his life and there are many gaps concerning his later life and career as well. He was baptized on February 17, 1591 in
Játiva, Spain, his father identified as a shoemaker. He is not recorded again until 1611, when records show he was paid for a painting (now lost) for a church in
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
, Italy. Documents show he was a member of the
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...
in Rome by October of 1613 and living in a house in the
Via Margutta
Via Margutta is a narrow street in the centre of Rome, near Piazza del Popolo, accessible from Via del Babuino in the ancient Campo Marzio neighborhood also known as ''"the foreigner's quarter"''. Mount Pincio is nearby. Via Margutta original ...
in 1615–16, at that time known as "the foreigner's quarter", apparently living a bohemian life with his brothers and other artists. Anecdotal accounts written at the time indicate he quickly earned a reputation as an outstanding painter after arriving in Rome and was making great profits, but also noted his laziness and extravagant spending.
He moved to Naples in late 1616, under Spanish rule at that time, and in November married Caterina Azzolino, the daughter of Sicilian painter,
Giovanni Bernardino Azzolini
Giovanni Bernardino Azzolini (c. 1572 – 12 December 1645) was an Italian painter and sculptor who continued painting in a late-Mannerist style, mainly active in Naples and Genoa. He is also known by Azzolino or Mazzolini or Asoleni.
Life and w ...
. There he remained for the rest of his life, setting up a workshop with many pupils, securing commissions, and establishing an international reputation. In 1626 he received the
Cross of the Order of Christ
The Cross of the Order of Christ ( Portuguese: ''Cruz da Ordem de Cristo''), also known as the Cross of Christ (''Cruz de Cristo'') or the Portuguese Cross (''Cruz Portuguesa''), is a cross symbol of Portugal, originating in the Portuguese Order ...
from
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...
. His health began to deteriorate in 1643 and his productivity declined from that time on, and by 1649 he was experiencing financial hardships as well. However, when his health permitted, he continued to produced several fine paintings into the last year of his life.
[National Gallery of Art, Washington D. C. (www.nga.gov): ]
Jusepe de Ribera, Biography
'. (accessed December 10, 2022[Lassaigne, Jacques. 1952. ''Spanish Painting: From Velazquez to Picasso''. Editions D'Art Albert Skira, Geneva, Switzerland 148 pp. (see pages 24–30, & 141)]
Life
Early biographies
His Italian biographers have many tales to tell of Ribera's stormy, picaresque career, and picture "Lo Spagnoletto's" life as an endless series of professional intrigues and rivalries, attempted poisonings due to ''gelosia di mestiere'', conspiracies and brawls, triumphs and adversities, dramatic love affairs. Alterations of dark patches and dazzling light, glooms and raptures – just as in his paintings. Perhaps we would do better to keep to the records and established dates of Ribera's life." Jacques Lassaigne (1952)
Biographers of Ribera in the 17th and 18th century, including
Bernardo De Dominici
Bernardo de' Dominici or Bernardo De Dominici (13 December 1683 – c. 1759) was an Italian art historian and painter of the late-Baroque period, active mainly in Naples. As a painter he was known for his landscapes, marine vedute and genre scene ...
,
[ De Dominici, Bernardo. 1742 – 45. ''Vite de' pittori, scultori, ed architti napoletani'' 'Lives of Neapolitan Painters, Sculptors and Architects'' Vols. I – III. Naples.] Carlo Celano,
[Celano, Carlo. 1692. ''Notizie del bello, dell'antico, e del curioso della cittá di Napoli'' 'News of the Beautiful, the Ancient, and the Curious of the City of Naples'' Naples.] and
Palomino de Castro y Velasco[ Palomino de Castro Y Velasco, Acisclo Antonio. 1715 – 1724. ''El museo pictórico y Escala óptica'' 'The Pictorial Museum and Optical Scale'' Vols. I – III. Madrid.] produced a substantial amount of information on the artist's life that is now known to be erroneous. Much of this misinformation was pervasive well into the 20th century and is occasionally still repeated today. It was long believed he was born in 1587, De Dominici saying he was from
Gallipoli, Apulia
Gallipoli (; scn, label= Salentino, Caḍḍìpuli ; ) is a southern Italian town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce, in Apulia. In 2014, it had a population of 31,862 and is one of the towns where the Greek dialect Griko is spoken.
Ge ...
while Celano stated he was from
Lecce
Lecce ( ); el, label=Griko, Luppìu, script=Latn; la, Lupiae; grc, Λουπίαι, translit=Loupíai), group=pron is a historic city of 95,766 inhabitants (2015) in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Lecce, the province ...
. One said he descended from nobility, and another identified his father as a Spanish army office. Research and documents emerged in the 20th century have proven these false.
[Finaldi, Gabriele. 1992. ''A Documentary Look at the Life and Work of Jusepe de Ribera''. pages 3–8: IN Pérez-Sánchez, Alfonso E., and Nicola Spinosa. ''Jusepe de Ribera 1519–1652''. The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York. 290 pp, ][Milicua, José. 1992. ''From Játiva to Naples''. pages 9 – 17: IN, Pérez-Sánchez, Alfonso E., and Nicola Spinosa. ''Jusepe de Ribera 1519–1652''. The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York. 290 pp, ] Other episodes and events in Ribera's life remain unverified. Early accounts (still repeated today) state that Ribera began his art education in
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
, where he was a pupil of
Francisco Ribalta
Francesc Ribalta (2 June 1565 – 12 January 1628), also known as ''Francisco Ribaltá'' or ''de Ribalta'', was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period, mostly of religious subjects.
Biography
He was born in Solsona, Lleida. Although his fi ...
. Although this is entirely plausible, there is no real evidence to confirm it.
De Dominici's biography described Ribera as an egotistical and condescending individual of reprehensible behavior. He was reputed to have been chief of the so-called
Cabal of Naples
The Cabal of Naples was a notorious triumvirate of painters in the city of Naples that operated during the early Baroque period from the late 1610s to the early 1640s. It was led by the Spaniard Jusepe de Ribera, who had established himself in Na ...
, his abettors being a Greek painter,
Belisario Corenzio
Belisario Corenzio ( el, Βελισσάριος Κορένσιος 1558–1646) was a Greek-Italian painter, active in Venice and Naples. He is one of few Greek painters that did not belong to the Cretan Renaissance like his contemporaries of the ...
and the Neapolitan
Giambattista Caracciolo, however there are no real documents or records to substantiate (or discredit) this other than these early biographies. De Dominici's biography has been called "barefaced lies" by one modern historian,
[Prota-Giurleo, Ulisse. 1953. ''Pittori napoletani del Seicento'' 'Neapolitan Painters of the Seventeenth Century'' Fausto Fiorentino-Libraio, Naples. 174 (page 97).] and "a caricature" by another, although the later noted a critical examination of it can still provide some insights.
Early Life (1591 – 1616)
Little information is available on Ribera's youth. It was as recent as 1923 that the year of his birth was positively established. He was baptized on February 17, 1591 in
Játiva, Spain, about 60 km. (37 mi.) south of Valencia. His parents were identified as Simón and Margarita (née Curo) Ribera, married in 1588, and his father's occupation a shoemaker. Other baptismal records show the couple had two other sons, Jerónimo (b.1588) and Juan (b.1593).
[Viñes, Gonzalo J., 1923. ''La verdadera partida de bautismo del Españoleto y otros datos de familia''. Archivo de arte valenciano, (9): 18-24.] A gap of 20 years follows his baptism record, including information regarding his childhood, education, teachers, and when he left Spain.
Ribera's move to the Italian Peninsula and his training as an artist have been subjects of interest to art historians in recent decades. His 18th century biographer Palomino wrote that he apprenticed with the Spanish painter
Francisco Ribalta
Francesc Ribalta (2 June 1565 – 12 January 1628), also known as ''Francisco Ribaltá'' or ''de Ribalta'', was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period, mostly of religious subjects.
Biography
He was born in Solsona, Lleida. Although his fi ...
in Valencia,
and this was generally accepted by historians into the mid to late 20th century, although no proof of this connection exists. Recently historians have begin to question this scenario.
There is some evidence to suggest Ribera might have been in Italy as early as 1608-1609 (age 17 or 18),
or even as early as 1605-1606 (age 14 or 15).
[Galleria nazionale d'arte antica di palazzo Corsini: Art/Masterpeices ]
Jusepe Ribera Known as Spagnoletto (Játiva 1591 - Naples 1652), Peter's Denial ca. 1615-16
'. (accessed December 20, 2022) Marriage records show that his father, Simón, married a second time in 1597 when Jusepe was six years old, and a third time in 1607 when he was 16, suggesting some disruption and lack of continuity in Ribera youth.
Recent decades have also shed light on Ribera's presumed teacher Francisco Ribalta, whose early works exhibit a
mannerist
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
style, and is now known to have only reached his final and mature period, reflecting a realist and
Caravaggesque current about 1614, at which point Ribera is already documented working in Italy.
Some historians also believe Ribera's drawing technique shows a thoroughly Italian education and influences.
Ribera started living in Rome no later than 1612, and is documented as having joined the
Academy of Saint Luke
The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...
by 1613.
He lived for a time in the
Via Margutta
Via Margutta is a narrow street in the centre of Rome, near Piazza del Popolo, accessible from Via del Babuino in the ancient Campo Marzio neighborhood also known as ''"the foreigner's quarter"''. Mount Pincio is nearby. Via Margutta original ...
, and almost certainly associated with other
Caravaggisti
The Caravaggisti (or the "Caravagesques") were stylistic followers of the late 16th-century Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio. His influence on the new Baroque style that eventually emerged from Mannerism was profound. Caravaggio never establish ...
who flocked to Rome at that time, such as
Gerrit van Honthorst
Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickname ''Gherardo delle Notti' ...
and
Hendrick ter Brugghen
Hendrick Jansz ter Brugghen (or Terbrugghen) (1588 – 1 November 1629) was a Dutch painter of genre scenes and religious subjects. He was one of the Dutch followers of Caravaggio – the so-called ''Utrecht Caravaggisti''. Along with Gerrit va ...
, among other Utrecht painters active in Rome by 1615.
Neapolitan period
The
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...
was part of the Spanish Empire during Ribera's lifetime, and was ruled by a succession of Spanish Viceroys. Ribera moved to Naples permanently in 1616.
In 1616, Ribera moved to
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, in order to avoid his creditors (according to
Giulio Mancini
Giulio Mancini (21 February 1559 – 22 August 1630) was a seicento physician, art collector, art dealer and writer on a range of subjects. His writings on contemporary artists like Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci remain one of our earliest sourc ...
, who described him as living beyond his means despite a high income). In November, 1616, Ribera married Caterina Azzolino, the daughter of a Sicilian-born Neapolitan painter,
Giovanni Bernardino Azzolino
Giovanni Bernardino Azzolini (c. 1572 – 12 December 1645) was an Italian painter and sculptor who continued painting in a late-Mannerist style, mainly active in Naples and Genoa. He is also known by Azzolino or Mazzolini or Asoleni.
Life and w ...
, whose connections in the Neapolitan art world helped to establish Ribera early on as a major figure whose presence was to have a lasting impact on the art of the city.
His Spanish nationality aligned him with the small Spanish governing class in the city, as well as with important collectors and art dealers from Spanish
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
. At this point Ribera began to sign his work as "Jusepe de Ribera, español" ("Jusepe de Ribera, Spaniard"). He was able to quickly attract the attention of the Viceroy,
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna (17 February 1574 – 20 September 1624) was a Spanish nobleman and politician. He was the 2nd Marquis of Peñafiel, 7th Count of Ureña, Spanish Viceroy of Sicily (1611–1616), Viceroy of Naples (1616–16 ...
, another recent arrival, who gave him a number of major commissions, which showed the influence of
Guido Reni
Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...
.
Few paintings survive from 1620 to 1626, but this was the period in which most of his best prints were produced. These were at least partly an attempt to attract attention outside of Ribera's Neapolitan circles. His career picked up in the late 1620s, and he was accepted as the leading painter in Naples thereafter. He received the Order of Christ of Portugal from
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...
in 1626.
Although Ribera never returned to Spain, many of his paintings were taken back by returning members of the Spanish governing class, such as the Duke of Osuna, and his etchings were brought to Spain by dealers. His influence can be seen in the works of
Velázquez,
Murillo, and most other Spanish painters of the period.
He has been characterized as selfishly protecting his prosperity, and is reputed to have been chief of the so-called
Cabal of Naples
The Cabal of Naples was a notorious triumvirate of painters in the city of Naples that operated during the early Baroque period from the late 1610s to the early 1640s. It was led by the Spaniard Jusepe de Ribera, who had established himself in Na ...
, his abettors being a Greek painter,
Belisario Corenzio
Belisario Corenzio ( el, Βελισσάριος Κορένσιος 1558–1646) was a Greek-Italian painter, active in Venice and Naples. He is one of few Greek painters that did not belong to the Cretan Renaissance like his contemporaries of the ...
and the Neapolitan
Giambattista Caracciolo.
It is said this group aimed to monopolize Neapolitan art commissions, using intrigue, sabotage of work in progress, and even personal threats of violence to frighten away outside competitors such as
Annibale Carracci
Annibale Carracci (; November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome. Along with his brother and cousin, Annibale was one of the progenitors, if not founders of a leading strand of th ...
, the
Cavalier d'Arpino
Giuseppe Cesari (14 February 1568 – 3 July 1640) was an Italian Mannerist painter, also named Il Giuseppino and called ''Cavaliere d'Arpino'', because he was created ''Cavaliere di Cristo'' by his patron Pope Clement VIII. He was much patronize ...
,
Reni, and
Domenichino
Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters.
Life
Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a shoem ...
. All of them were invited to work in Naples, but found the place inhospitable. The cabal disbanded at the time of Domenichino's death in 1641.
Ribera's pupils included
Hendrick de Somer
Hendrick de Somer (1602–c.1655) was a Flemish painter who spent most of his life and career in Italy. He was mainly active in Naples.Stadsarchief Lokeren original baptism certificate : Parochieregister Lokeren : Hendrick de Somer : baptized ...
,
Francesco Fracanzano
Francesco Fracanzano (1612–1656) was an Italian painter who participated in the Masaniello rebellion.
Francanzano was the brother of Cesare Fracanzano, a pupil of Spagnoletto
Jusepe de Ribera (1591 – 1652) was a painter and printma ...
,
Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain.
Ear ...
, and
Bartolomeo Passante
Bartolomeo Passante or Bassante (1618 – 1648) was an Italian painter of the Baroque era active in Naples.
Life
He was born in Brindisi. He reached Naples in 1629, where he probably studied under Jusepe de Ribera (according to Bernardo De Domi ...
. He was followed by
Giuseppe Marullo
Giuseppe Marullo (died 1685, Naples) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active near his natal city of Orta di Atella.[Agostino Beltrano
Agostino Beltrano (died 1665) was an Italian painter active in the Baroque period in his native city of Naples. He was a pupil of Massimo Stanzione, the uncle of his wife, and is known to have been active in 1646. He is said to have murdered his 3 ...]
,
Paolo Domenico Finoglio
Paolo Domenico Finoglia, or Finoglio (c. 1590 – 1645), was an Italian painter of the early-Baroque period, active mainly in South Italy, including Naples and towns in Apulia.
Life
Finoglia was born in Orta di Atella, near Naples, but sometime ...
,
Giovanni Ricca, and
Pietro Novelli
Pietro Novelli (March 2, 1603 – August 27, 1647) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Palermo. Also known as ''il Monrealese'' or ''Pietro "Malta" Novelli'' to distinguish him from his father, Pietro Antonio Novelli I ...
.
[Jusepe Ribera]
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...
Later life
Around 1644, his daughter married a Spanish nobleman in the administration, who died soon after. From 1644, Ribera's ill health greatly reduced his ability to work, although his workshop continued to produce works under his direction. In 1647–1648, during the
Masaniello
Masaniello (, ; an abbreviation of Tommaso Aniello; 29 June 1620 – 16 July 1647) was an Italian fisherman who became leader of the 1647 revolt against the rule of Habsburg Spain in the Kingdom of Naples.
Name and place of birth
Until recent ...
uprising against Spanish rule, he and his family took refuge in the palace of the Viceroy. In 1651 he sold his home, and was in dire financial straits by the time of his death in September 1652.
Work
His early style was influenced by the study of the Spanish and Venetian masters as well as
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...
and
Correggio
Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Italian Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sens ...
. His subject matter was notoriously gruesome, portraying human cruelty and violence with startling naturalism. In the early 1630s his style shifted from stark
tenebrism
Tenebrism, from Italian ' ("dark, gloomy, mysterious"), also occasionally called dramatic illumination, is a style of painting using especially pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and where darkness becomes ...
to a more diffused lighting, as seen in ''
The Clubfoot
''The Clubfoot'' (also known as ''The Club-Footed Boy'') is a 1642 oil on canvas painting by Jusepe de Ribera. It is housed in the Musée du Louvre in Paris (part of the La Caze bequest of 1869), and was painted in Naples. Art historian Ellis Wat ...
'' of 1642.
Some major works include ''
Saint Januarius
Januarius ( ; la, Ianuarius; Neapolitan language, Neapolitan and it, Gennaro), also known as , was Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benevento, Bishop of Benevento and is a Christian martyrs, martyr and saint of the Catholic Church and the Eastern ...
Emerging from the Furnace'' in the cathedral of Naples; the ''Descent from the Cross'' in the Certosa, Naples; the ''Adoration of the Shepherds'' (1650) in the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
; the ''
Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew
The ''Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew'' is a painting by Jusepe de Ribera conserved at the National Art Museum of Catalonia.
Description
The painting illustrates martyrdom and physical torment. The almost naked apostle Bartholomew looks at us help ...
'' in the
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (, English: "National Art Museum of Catalonia"), abbreviated as MNAC, is a museum of Catalan visual art located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Situated on Montjuïc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Ma ...
,
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
; and the ''Pieta'' in the sacristy of San Martino, Naples. His mythologic subjects are often as violent as his martyrdoms, the most famous being his renditions of ''Apollo and
Marsyas
In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas (; grc-gre, Μαρσύας) is a central figure in two stories involving music: in one, he picked up the double oboe (''aulos'') that had been abandoned by Athena and played it; in the other, he challenged ...
,'' now in Brussels and Naples, and his ''
Tityos
Tityos or Tityus (Ancient Greek: Τιτυός) was a giant from Greek mythology.
Family
Tityos was the son of Elara; his father was Zeus. He had a daughter named Europa who coupled with Poseidon and gave birth to Euphemus, one of the Argonaut ...
'', now in the
Prado
The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It migh ...
. The
Prado
The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It migh ...
owns fifty-six paintings and another six attributed to Ribera, alongside eleven drawings, such as ''
Jacob’s Dream'' (1639); the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
contain four of his paintings and seven drawings; the
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director o ...
owns three; and
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando owns a nice ensemble of five paintings including ''The Assumption of Mary Magdalene'' from
El Escorial
El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ( es, Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio del Escorial (), is a historical residence of the King of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, u ...
, and an early ''Ecce Homo'' or ''The head of St John the Baptist''. He executed several fine male portraits and a self-portrait. ''Saint Jerome Writing'' in the Prado now has been credited to him by Gianni Papi, a
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...
expert. He was an important
etcher
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...
—indeed, the most significant Spanish printmaker before
Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...
—producing about forty prints, nearly all in the 1620s. ''
The Martyrdom of Saint Philip'' (1639; often described as
Saint Bartholomew
Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو ...
due to overlapping iconography)
[ ee ''Museo del Prado, Catálogo de las pinturas'', 1996, p. 315, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Madrid, /ref> is in the ]Prado
The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It migh ...
.
Nearly half of Ribera's entire oeuvre consist of half-length representations of saints, apostles, philosophers, scientists, and allegorical figures. The models for these paintings were the natives from the streets of Rome and Naples, typically humble people such as fishermen, dockworkers, elderly people, and beggars, often characterized by wrinkled skin and ragged clothes, painted with a raw visual intensity.[Spinosa, Nicola. 2006. ''Ribera: The Complete Work''. Electa Napoli. ]
Legacy
Salvator Rosa
Salvator Rosa (1615 –1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticized landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th ...
and Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain.
Ear ...
were his most distinguished followers, who may have been his pupils; others were also Giovanni Do, the Flemish painter Hendrick de Somer
Hendrick de Somer (1602–c.1655) was a Flemish painter who spent most of his life and career in Italy. He was mainly active in Naples.Stadsarchief Lokeren original baptism certificate : Parochieregister Lokeren : Hendrick de Somer : baptized ...
(known in Italy as 'Enrico Fiammingo'), Michelangelo Fracanzani, and Aniello Falcone
Aniello Falcone (15 November 16001656) was an Italian Baroque painter, active in Naples and noted for his painted depictions of battle scenes. Some sources refer to him as ''Ancillo Falcone''.
Biography
Born in Naples the son of a tradesman, he ...
, who was the first considerable painter of battle-pieces.
Ribera's work remained in fashion after his death, largely through the adoption of his hyper-naturalistic depictions of violence in the paintings of pupils like Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain.
Ear ...
.[Johnson, Paul. ''Art: A New History'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003.] The gradual rehabilitation of his international reputation was aided by exhibitions in Princeton in 1973, of his prints and drawings, and of works in all media in London at the Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
in 1982 and in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
in 1992. Since then his ''oeuvre'' has gained more attention from critics and scholars. In 2006, a catalogue raisonné
A ''catalogue raisonné'' (or critical catalogue) is a comprehensive, annotated listing of all the known artworks by an artist either in a particular medium or all media. The works are described in such a way that they may be reliably identified ...
of Ribera's work was published, written by the former director of the Museo di Capodimonte
Museo di Capodimonte is an art museum located in the Palace of Capodimonte, a grand Bourbon palazzo in Naples, Italy. The museum is the prime repository of Neapolitan painting and decorative art, with several important works from other Italia ...
in Naples, Nicola Spinosa.
Gallery
Oil paintings
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...
s (oil on canvas unless noted otherwise)
Saint Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...
File:Jusepe de Ribera - Martyrdom of Saint Andrew - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Martyrdom of
'', 1628. 209 x 183 cm.,
'', 1626, 185 x 229 cm., Museo di Capodimonte
File:Ixion by Jusepe de Ribera (1632), 220 x 301 cm., Museo del Prado.jpg,
, 1635-36, 226 x 118, cm., Museo del Prado
File:José de Ribera - Asunción de la Magdalena - Google Art Project.jpg, ''
File:José de Ribera 058.jpg, ''Pietà'', 1637, 264 x 170 cm., National Museum of San Martino
File:José de Ribera 048.jpg, ''
's Dream'', 1639, 179 × 233 cm., Museo del Prado
File:José de Ribera 054.jpg, ''The Martyrdom of
'', 1639, 214 × 234 cm., Museo del Prado
File:San Pablo Ermitaño, por José de Ribera.jpg, ''
File:José de Ribera - Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Martyrdom of
''. 1646, 66 × 78 cm.,