86 - JUSEPE DE RIBERA, circle of

JUSEPE DE RIBERA, circle of (Xàtiva, February 17, 1591 – Naples, September 2, 1652) First half of the 17th century SAINT ONOPHRIUS Oil on canvas, 95 x 84.5 cm. The subject of Saint Onofrio was depicted on several occasions by Jusepe de Ribera and his circle, in various compositional variations. Notable examples of his own hand include the painting housed at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (inv. ГЭ375) and the one previously offered by Dorotheum in Vienna on April 25, 2017 (lot 72). The depiction of hermit and penitent saints is a recurring theme in Ribera’s oeuvre. Onuphrius, Jerome, Anthony, and Paul of Thebes are often portrayed as isolated figures, emerging from the darkness of the background and accompanied by a few symbolic attributes. This repertoire, particularly widespread in early 17th-century painting between Rome and Naples, also enjoyed great popularity among painters working within the circle of the Spanish master. In this work, Saint Onuphrius is depicted with intense naturalism, following models closely linked to Ribera’s style. The saint, who according to tradition withdrew to a hermit’s life in the desert, appears with an emaciated torso, long hair, and a white beard; he holds a staff and a rosary in his hands, while gazing upward in a prayerful posture. To the right is a skull, a traditional memento mori and symbol of meditation on the transience of earthly life. The vigorous anatomical rendering, the vibrant brushstrokes, and the marked contrast in light between the figure and the dark background link the work to the naturalistic style that developed around Ribera in seventeenth-century Naples, where the raw realism of the depiction becomes a vehicle for intense spiritual expression. CONDITION REPORT Original canvas on original stretcher. The painted surface, weakened by the absence of a lining, shows some small areas of paint loss and missing paint. Under Wood’s light, old areas of retouching are visible on the face and skin tones. The stretcher is damaged on the back.