Jusepe de Ribera,
'An Apostle', about 1615-19.
London, The National Gallery.

Recent Acquisition

'An Apostle'

about 1615-19

Jusepe de Ribera
(1591 - 1652)

NG6577. Given anonymously, 1999.

The painting is an early work by the Spanish painter Jusepe de Ribera. It is part of an Apostle series, of which several other paintings are known, and it joins two works by the artist already in the Collection.

This Apostle is part of a series of which five other pictures, of the same format, dimensions and style are known. These are: Saint Peter (Bloomington, Indiana University Art Museum), Saint Paul (Naples, private collection), two Apostles, called Saint Philip and Saint Judas Thaddaeus (both formerly in a Roman private collection and sold in London in 1995); a fifth painting showing an Apostle in profile and holding an axe, is in a private collection in England).

The identity of Ribera's 'Apostle' is uncertain. He has been called Saint Judas Thaddaeus, but the spear he holds is also associated with Saint Matthias. Another of the apostles from the series to which this work belongs holds a similar spear but in the absence of any inscriptions it is not possible to know which might be Thomas and which Matthias.

The painting would appear to date from the mid- to late 1610s, in close proximity to the series of the 'Five Senses' (in various public and private collections), painted shortly before Ribera left Rome for Naples in 1616, and to the 'Crucifixion' and the four paintings of Saints now in Osuna, near Seville, which were painted in 1617 - 18.

Oil on canvas, 62 x 49.5 cm

Back to Recent Acquisitions 1999