Portrait of a Philosopher
Ribera was the most important Spanish painter of the early 17th century. Like Renieri, he was influenced by the famous Caravaggio (1573 - 1610), and spent much of his time in Italy. Ribera is credited with the invention of the imaginary portrait, of which our Philosopher is a good example; artists selected models whose features reflected those thought to characterise subjects like saints and philosophers. Objects like books were included to help identify the subject. Here, Ribera has contrasted sombre colours with dramatic light to emphasise the texture of the sitter's clothing and books, achieving the desired realistic and noble effect.
