Jusepe de Ribera

Jusepe de Ribera, born in Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain, on February 17, 1591, was one of the most important Spanish painters of the 17th century, primarily active in Naples, where he lived and worked until his death in 1652. Also known by the nickname Lo Spagnoletto, Ribera was a leading figure of Neapolitan and European Baroque painting, renowned for his tenebrist style characterized by stark realism and dramatic use of chiaroscuro. His artistic training likely began in Spain but was consolidated in Italy, where he stayed in Parma and Rome before settling permanently in Naples in 1616. There, he married Catalina Azzolino, daughter of a local painter, and became one of the most sought-after artists by the nobility and the Spanish court, including the viceroys of Naples such as the Duke of Osuna.

Ribera was distinguished for his religious and mythological works, especially intense and often brutal depictions of martyrs and saints, reflecting a deep attention to anatomical and psychological detail. His art profoundly influenced Neapolitan painting and served as a reference point for subsequent generations of artists. Besides religious paintings, he also produced portraits, still lifes, and genre scenes, demonstrating great technical and thematic versatility.

His fame extended well beyond Naples, with works sent to the Spanish court and appreciated throughout Europe. Jusepe de Ribera is today regarded as one of the major masters of the Baroque, whose artistic legacy continues to be studied and admired in leading museums worldwide. The auction house Bertolami Fine Art has handled several sales of his works, confirming the importance and value of his artistic contribution.