The Poet
Artist: Jusepe de Ribera (Spanish, baptized in 1591, died 1652)
Date: 1630-1640
Dimensions:
6 1/4 x 4 7/8 in.
Medium: Etching
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Frederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund
Object number: 1953.9
Label Text:Contemplative and melancholic, the poet leans against a cracked and crumbling stone block. The laurel wreath on his bowed head signifies artistic merit but appears to burden rather than ennoble. Some scholars have noted the similarity of Juseppe de Ribera’s poet and the representation of Melencolia by Albrecht Dürer (see illustration), noted for its complex iconography exploring melancholy’s connection to intellectual pursuit.
Ribera was born in Jávita near Valencia, Spain. He settled in Naples, Italy around 1616 and remained there the rest of his life. Southern Italy was controlled at the time by the Spanish Hapsburgs. The viceroys (generally Spanish noblemen) assigned to govern the area were the primary patrons of the arts. Many of Ribera’s paintings were shipped back to Spain. Other European collectors, living in Naples because of its banking and shipping industries, also supported the arts. Ribera therefore achieved an international reputation without leaving Naples.
Ribera was born in Jávita near Valencia, Spain. He settled in Naples, Italy around 1616 and remained there the rest of his life. Southern Italy was controlled at the time by the Spanish Hapsburgs. The viceroys (generally Spanish noblemen) assigned to govern the area were the primary patrons of the arts. Many of Ribera’s paintings were shipped back to Spain. Other European collectors, living in Naples because of its banking and shipping industries, also supported the arts. Ribera therefore achieved an international reputation without leaving Naples.
Not on view
In Collection(s)