The Poet

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The Poet

Artist Jusepe de Ribera (Spanish, baptized in 1591, died 1652)

Date1630-1640

Dimensions6 1/4 x 4 7/8 in.

MediumEtching

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineFrederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund

Object number

1953.9

Not on View

Label TextContemplative 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.Exhibition HistoryTMA, The Dramatic Image: Baroque Prints of the 17th Century, February 25 - July 31, 2011.