Bidspirit auction | José de Ribera, called ”Il

José de Ribera, called ”Il Spagnoletto” (Játiva, 1591 - Naples, 1652) - Aaron (c.1615) - Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 130 x 95 cm (unframed), 151 x 116 cm (framed). Certificate from Prof. Nicola Spinosa is included. This is a work from the artist's early period, depicting a half-length portrait of Aaron, the first high priest of Hebrew tradition. He is identified by the turban he wears and the symbolic objects that accompany him: a silver-embossed thurible and a serpent in his left hand. The Book of Exodus tells how Aaron, in the name of Moses, performed miraculous acts before the Pharaoh, including transforming his staff into a serpent. The painting stands out for its realistic and naturalistic treatment of the physical features and objects depicted, in line with the style of the young José de Ribera during his Roman period (around 1615), immediately before his definitive establishment in Naples in 1616. Ribera arrived in Rome around 1608-1609 and there worked alongside other European artists influenced by the naturalism of Caravaggio. The attribution to Ribera is confirmed by its stylistic affinity with his half-length compositions of saints, prophets, and apostles executed in Rome, such as ”Saint Gregory the Great” in the Barberini Gallery (Rome), the series of apostles for Pedro Cossida (four preserved in the Roberto Longhi Foundation, Florence), ”Saint Matthew with the Angel” (private collection, Santiago de Chile), the ”Prophet” in the Castello Ursino Museum (Catania), and others such as ”Saint Augustine” (Regional Gallery of Sicily, Palermo), ”Origins” (National Gallery of the Marches, Urbino), and ”Saint Anthony the Abbot” (El Conventet, Barcelona). According to Spinosa, this work expands the known corpus of Ribera during his early period between Rome and Naples and constitutes a genuine early example that allows us to understand the artist's evolution towards maturity. It is a particularly valuable testimony, since documented works from this early period are few and far between in Spanish collections. Work referenced in: N. Spinosa. ”Aniello Falcone ei pittori della sua cerchia” (1625-1656). Silvana editoriale, Milano 2023, pp.18-19. Provenance: Private Italian collection. Located in an international warehouse.