Follower of José de Ribera.

Follower of JOSÉ DE RIBERA (Xátiva, Valencia, 1591 - Naples, 1652).
"Ecce Homo.
Oil on canvas.
Measurements. 74 x 56 cm; 83 x 63 cm (frame).
This work, made by a follower of José de Ribera, takes as a direct reference the famous Ecce Homo preserved in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando (inv. No. 0629), considered the earliest version of this theme within the production of the master, dated around 1620, in the early years of his career and in the context of his relationship with the house of Osuna.
The composition presents Christ three-quarter length and slightly in profile, crowned with thorns, his tunic and reed torn after being outraged by the people after the scourging. Against a deeply tenebrist background, the figure is cut with a diagonal marked by the intense chiaroscuro of the face, torso and bare arm. The result is a powerful anatomical study, charged with restrained drama and intense humanity, essential features of the Riberesque language.
The original version of the Ecce Homo of the Academy of San Fernando, from the Jesuit College of Toledo, entered the institution after the expulsion of the order in 1767. Its importance was such that in 1871 it was included in the publication Cuadros selectos de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, an ambitious series of prints intended to disseminate the most relevant works in the collection and to promote the art of engraving, with drawing and engraving by José María Galván and text by José María Avrial.
This work, faithful to the original model, strongly conveys Ribera's spirit: tenebrism, stark realism and deep spiritual intensity, qualities that make Ecce Homo one of the most moving images of the Spanish Baroque.