Jusepe de Ribera

Jusepe de Ribera was an early 17th century Spanish master painter whose paintings were full of dramatic lighting and realistic forms, following in the footsteps of Caravaggio and Correggio. Ribera’s work distinguishes itself from his contemporaries, like Velasquez, through its abandoned idealization. Although Realism would not emerge for over 200 years, Ribera anticipated the movement; he unapologetically accounted for wrinkles and blemishes when rendering figures, and was particularly drawn to images of old men, be they biblical or mythological. Although not a monetarily successful court painter, Ribera was a prolific painting teacher and had a devoted following of painters.