Other names

Biography

José de Ribera (1591-1652) is one of the most outstanding painters of the 17th century. There is hardly any news about his childhood beyond the fact that his father worked as a shoemaker (Viñes, 1923). The beginnings of his artistic training are unknown, although in 1611 he was in Italy working for Duke Ranuccio Farnese. It is believed that he left Valencia in 1610 for Naples, later he was in Rome and Genoa, places where he was able to see first hand the paintings of Parmigiano, Titian and Correggio (Pérez Sánchez and Spinosa, 2003). In 1613 he settled with his brother in Rome, a city that gave him access to the works of Caravaggio (Pérez Sánchez, 1994). Shortly after, around 1616, he left for Naples, marrying Caterina Azzolino, daughter of Giovan Bernardo Azzolino, an art dealer. Ribera's painting became more chromatic with the passage of time, something that is evident in the 1630s, when he met Velázquez, who was visiting Naples (Brown, 1973; Spinosa, 2008). There are numerous paintings by José de Ribera scattered in museums and institutions. See, by way of example, the following: Saint Jerome Penitent ( Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid), The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) or the Baptism of Christ(Musée des Beaux Arts, Nancy).

Bibliography

• BROWN, Jonathan (1973): Jusepe de Ribera. Prints and Drawings, Princeton University Press, Princenton.
• FINALDI, Gabriele (2003): Ribera: La Piedad, Fundación Colección Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid.
• FINALDI, Gabriele; CENALMOR, Elena y PAYNE, Edward (2016): José de Ribera, dibujos: catálogo razonado, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.
• GUÉ TRAPIER, Elisabeth du (1952): Ribera, Hispanic Society of America, Nueva York.
• PÉREZ SÁNCHEZ, Alfonso E. (1994): Ribera, Alianza Editorial, Madrid.
• PÉREZ SÁNCHEZ, Alfonso E. (1974): "Sobre los "monstruos" de Ribera, y algunas otras notas riberescas", vol. 47, nº 187, Archivo Español de Arte.
• PÉREZ SÁNCHEZ, Alfonso E. y SPINOSA, Nicola (2003): Jusepe de Ribera, el Españoleto, Lunwerg, Madrid.
• SPINOSA, Nicola (2006): José de Ribera: bajo el signo de Caravaggio (1613-1633), Caja Duero, Madrid.
• SPINOSA, Nicola (2008): Ribera: la obra completa, Fundación Arte Hispánico, Madrid.
• VIÑES, Gonzalo (1923): "La verdadera partida de bautismo del Españoleto y otros datos de familia", nº 9, Archivo de arte valenciano.