Francisco Ribalta, 'The Vision of Father Simón', 1612
About the work
Overview
Francisco Gerónimo Simón (1578–1612) was parish priest of San Andrés in Valencia. In 1612 he had a miraculous vision: here he is shown kneeling in front of the towering figure of Christ carrying the Cross, tears streaming down his face, as he reaches out to embrace him. Christ is followed by a procession of trumpeting Roman soldiers, Saint John the Evangelist and the Virgin. The soldiers appear squashed and only part of the Virgin is visible now because the painting has been reduced along both vertical sides, and probably along the top.
Ribalta’s signature is placed prominently on a piece of paper lying at Christ’s feet. The picture is dated 1612, the year of Father Simón’s vision and death. A period of fervent devotion to Father Simón followed, until his cult was banned in 1619.
Ribalta worked in Valencia in his late career. His art was strongly influenced by the Italian painters Sebastiano del Piombo and Caravaggio, some of whose works were known in Spain.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Vision of Father Simón
- Artist
- Francisco Ribalta
- Artist dates
- 1565 - 1628
- Date made
- 1612
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 210.8 × 110.5 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed; Dated
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1913
- Inventory number
- NG2930
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised by Allan Braham, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School’, London 1988; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
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1614D.S. de Loayza, Breve y sumaria relación de la vida muerte y milagros del venerable Pres. Mos. Fr. Hier. Simon, valenciano, con los tumulos, honras, entradas y presentes que en el término de un año en la ciudad de Valencia se le han hecho, con otras cosas sucedidas, Segorbe 1614
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1705I.A. Gilart, Vida del venerable sacerdote mosen Francisco Geronymo Simon, Valencia 1705
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1854G.F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain: Being and Account of the Chief Collections of Paintings, Drawings, Sculptures, Illuminated Mss. […], vol. 2, trans. E. Eastlake, London 1854
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1882M. Falomir Faus, 'Imágenes de una santidad frustrada: El culto a Francisco Jerónimo Simón', Locus amoenus, 4, 1998, pp. 171-83
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1917L. Tramoyeres Blasco, 'Los pintores Francisco y Juan Ribalta', Archivo de arte valenciano, III/2, 1917, pp. 93-107
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1948C.G. Espresati, Ribalta, Barcelona 1948
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1952Maclaren, Neil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School, London 1952
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1958J. Camón Aznar, Los Ribalta, Madrid 1958
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1958J.A. Gaya Nuño, La pintura española fuera de España: Historia y catálogo, Madrid 1958
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1967E. Harris, 'Spanish Painting at the Bowes Museum', The Burlington Magazine, CIX/773, 1967, pp. 483-5
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1970N. MacLaren and A. Braham, The Spanish School, 2nd edn, London 1970
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1980E. Harris and P. Troutman, The Golden Age of Spanish Art: From El Greco to Murillo and Valdés Leal: Paintings and Drawings from British Collections, (exh. cat. Nottingham University Art Gallery, 11 February - 29 March 1980), Nottingham 1980
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1981D.M. Kowal, The Life and Art of Francisco Ribalta (1565-1628), Phd Thesis, University of Michigan 1981
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1981A. Braham, El Greco to Goya: The Taste for Spanish Paintings in Britain and Ireland (exh. cat. The National Gallery, 16 September - 9 November 1981), London 1981
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1985D.M. Kowal, Ribalta y los ribaltescos: La evolución del estilo barroco en Valencia, Valencia 1985
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1987F.B. Doménech, Los Ribalta y la pintura valenciana de su tiempo (exh. cat. Lonja de Valencia, October - November 1997; Prado, December 1997 - January 1988), Valencia 1987
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1988Maclaren, Neil, revised by Allan Braham, National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School, 2nd edn (revised), London 1988
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1988F.B. Doménech and J. Portús, Francisco Ribalta, Madrid 1988
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1991C.F. Aparicio, 'Obras de Francisco Ribalta dedicadas al Padre Simó: Un lienzo del Museo Nacional de Escultura', Goya, 225, 1991, pp. 142-51
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1995T. Bean, 'Documents for the History of Collecting 19: Richard Ford as Picture Collector and Patron in Spain', The Burlington Magazine, CXXXVII/1103, 1995, pp. 96-107
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1998B. Ford, 'Richard Ford (1796-1858)', The Walpole Society, LX, 1998, pp. 213-50
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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2004J. Portús et al., The Spanish Portrait from El Greco to Picasso (exh. cat. Museo Nacional del Prado, 20 October 2004 - 6 February 2005), London 2004
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2008S. Schroth and R. Baer, El Greco to Velázquez: Art during the Reign of Philip III (exh. cat. Museum of Fine Arts, 20 April - 27 July 2008; Nasher Museum of Art, 21 August - 9 November 2008), Boston 2008
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.