81 - JOSÉ DE RIBERA

JOSÉ DE RIBERA Játiva 1591 – Naples 1652 The Immaculate Conception as a Child. 1649 Oil on canvas Signed and dated Dimensions: 75 x 61 cm Provenance: - Private collection, Madrid. Previously unpublished in studies on José de Ribera, this delicate depiction of the Virgin Mary as a child in prayer, surrounded by cherubs against a golden halo, is an interesting example of the Spanish master’s religious work during his mature period in Naples. The Virgin, dressed in a white tunic and blue mantle, embodies a distinctly devotional iconography, linked to depictions of the Immaculate Conception. Her face, with its soft features, warm skin tones, and the rendering of the hair and the winged heads of the cherubs reveal affinities with other works by Ribera from the 1640s, including the Penitent Magdalene (1641) and the Immaculate Conception in the Prado Museum, dated 1647. The composition also fits within the context of Ribera’s later period, characterized by numerous medium-sized, single-figure paintings intended for private devotion. During these years, the artist produced important Marian compositions, such as the Immaculate Conception of 1646 for the Royal Palace of Naples. The attribution has been studied by Professor Viviana Farina, whose initial stylistic assessment has been reinforced by a microscopic examination of the signature, which confirms that it is in the artist’s own hand and allows for the confirmation of the date 1649. The work also includes an extensive technical and analytical study conducted by Icono I & R (Madrid).