Juan Ribalta (1596–1628), Seguace di - Cristo che porta la croce

Spanish School, 17th century; circle of Juan Ribalta (1596–1628): Christ Carrying the Cross
Oil on canvas
76 x 62 cm
Minor damage to the canvas

(Madrid, 1596/1597 – Valencia, 1628). Spanish painter. Son of the better known Francisco Ribalta, Juan showed a striking artistic personality; after beginning his training in his father's workshop, he seemed destined to become one of the most significant Spanish artists of the 17th century. However, his premature death cut short a very promising career. Working steadily in his father's studio, he signed his first work in 1615, proudly indicating his age—eighteen—at the time of its execution. That work, The Preparations for the Crucifixion, testifies to his extraordinary precocity in handling a composition of considerable complexity, as well as the assured mastery of the Mannerist models absorbed from his father, enriched by some naturalistic touches. Palomino stressed how the young Juan had made the paternal style his own, noting how the two artists’ works were difficult to distinguish, except through the brushstroke: “the father's manner was more defined, while the son's proved somewhat freer and more vigorous.” The arrival of Pedro de Orrente in Valencia in 1616 proved a decisive influence, leading Juan to adopt several elements typical of the Murcian painter, in particular the taste for anecdotal and everyday details, derived directly from the Bassano workshop. These influences gave a more delicate tone to his works in the following years. The year 1618 was significant for Juan Ribalta: marriage secured him a more comfortable economic condition, while he appears ever more involved in managing the family workshop. In the same year his literary interests clearly emerged, with participation in a poetic contest held in Valencia on the occasion of the canonization celebrations of Thomas of Villanova. From 1624, there is a shift toward a more sober style, probably influenced by the increasingly naturalistic tone that Francisco was adopting in his painting in those years. A emblematic example of this more rigorous approach, typical of his final phase, is the monumental Saint John the Evangelist conserved at the Prado, where the naturalistic treatment intensifies the imposing presence of the figure. Juan Ribalta died in Valencia in October 1628—perhaps of fever—only nine months after his father. The Prado houses three works by the artist: two canvases depicting Evangelists come from the royal collections (perhaps acquired by Charles IV during a trip to Valencia at the end of 1802), while Saint John the Evangelist was acquired in 1961 and its previous provenance is unknown.