Jusepe de Ribera, Martyrdom of St. Philip

In the seventeenth century, Spain maintained its passionate commitment to Catholic orthodoxy, and, as in Counter-Reformation Italy, Spanish Baroque artists sought ways to move viewers and encourage greater devotion and piety. Scenes of death and martyrdom had great appeal in Spain. They provided artists with opportunities both to depict extreme emotion and to elicit passionate feelings. Spain prided itself on its saints – Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Ignatius Loyola were both Spanish-born – and martyrdom scenes appear frequently in Spanish Baroque art.

As a young man, José (Jusepe) de Ribera (c. 1588-1652) emigrated to Naples and fell under the spell of Caravaggio, whose innovative style he introduced to Spain. Emulating Caravaggio, Ribera made naturalism and compelling drama primary ingredients of his paintings, which often embraced brutal themes, reflecting the harsh times of the Counter-Reformation and the Spanish taste for stories showcasing courage and devotion. Ribera’s Martyrdom of Saint Philip is grim and dark in both subject and form. Scorning idealization of any kind, Ribera represented Philip’s executioners hoisting him into position after tying him to a cross, the instrument of Christ’s own martyrdom. The saint’s rough, heavy body and swarthy, plebeian features express a kinship between him and his tormentors, who are similar to the types of figures found in Caravaggio’s paintings.^[1]