Follower of José de Ribera; 18th century.

Follower of JOSÉ DE RIBERA (Xátiva, Valencia, 1591 - Naples, 1652); XVIII century.
"Male face".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Presents faults in the pictorial surface.
Measurements. 30,5 x 23,5 cm (frame).
The work offers us the concentrated face of a male figure of advanced age, probably identifiable as one of the apostles. The man has been represented bust-length, with a bushy beard and moustache, while he observes the spectator in a serious gesture, in which a certain sadness can be perceived. The figure stands out against a neutral background of brownish tones, thanks to a powerful spotlight outside the composition that falls on the face. The type of lighting used, as well as the subject matter and the chromatic range, based on brown, reddish and gray tones, denote the artist's knowledge of Spanish Baroque painting of the Golden Age, specifically that of José de Ribera, a key painter for the development of naturalistic Baroque not only in Spain, but also in Italy and in other national schools, given the great diffusion of his work. Called "el Españoleto", he was a key master of the Spanish Baroque, and in general of the history of art at the European level. Although no documentary sources or evidence of his youth are preserved, it is believed that he trained with Francisco Ribalta in Valencia, after which he went to Italy, first to the north and later to Rome, where he learned first-hand about the classicists and the Caravaggesque tenebrism of the Dutch who settled there. Finally he settled in Naples, where he arrived in 1616. Then began his period of maturity and splendor; Ribera enjoyed fame and a large workshop, and his works spread throughout Europe through engravings.