Artwork
Saint Simon
Saint Simon is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jusepe de Ribera. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a religious artwork, it portrays the apostle holding a book, which serves as a key iconographic attribute associated with Saint Simon.
The painting depicts Simon the Zealot, identified as the main subject of the work. As a religious artwork, it portrays the apostle holding a book, which serves as a key iconographic attribute associated with Saint Simon. This object symbolizes his role as a writer of scripture or his apostolic authority.
Created in 1630 by Jusepe de Ribera, the image functions as a devotional representation of the saint within the context of religious art.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 107 cm by 91 cm. It portrays Simon the Zealot holding a book, reflecting its religious subject matter. The composition and handling demonstrate Ribera's characteristic naturalism and chiaroscuro, emphasizing the figure's solemn presence and tactile rendering of fabric and flesh.
History & Provenance
The work was created in 1630 by Jusepe de Ribera as an oil painting on canvas depicting Simon the Zealot. It was commissioned for religious purposes and has remained in the collection of the Museo del Prado since its inception, where it is currently housed.
Jusepe de Ribera's painting Saint Simon, created in 1630, is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work, executed in oil on canvas, depicts Simon the Zealot holding a book and measures 107 cm in height by 91 cm in width. While the artwork is confirmed as part of the museum's holdings, the provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they document any exhibition history for the piece.
Context
Saint Simon is a religious painting by Jusepe de Ribera, created in 1630 and housed in the Museo del Prado. The work portrays Simon the Zealot holding a book and exemplifies Ribera's mastery of dramatic chiaroscuro within the Spanish Baroque tradition. Its iconography and execution have been examined in scholarship focusing on the artist's influence on later European painters, situating it within broader discussions of religious art in 17th-century Europe.
Overview
Created around 1630, Saint Simon is an oil painting by Jusepe de Ribera, a Spanish-born artist who spent most of his career in Naples. Executed during the early phase of the Italian Baroque, the work presents a solitary figure rendered with the dramatic contrasts and tactile surface that characterize Ribera’s mature style.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jusepe de Ribera (Valencian:; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and printmaker.
