Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652), Bottega di - San Francesco orante

With an antique Salvator Rosa cornice with three carved orders.

The painting is accompanied by a restoration report carried out by the studio 'Art and Restoration Consultancies of Ancient and Nineteenth-Century Paintings' of Castel Gandolfo, which proposes dating the work to the first half of the seventeenth century.

The painting reintroduces an iconographic theme that Ribera revisited multiple times: Saint Francis in prayer, depicted frontally, of which he developed two essential iconographic variants related to the attribute held in the saint's hand: either a skull or, as in this case, the crucifix. The prototype of the skull type is considered to be the signed and dated 1643 specimen now at Palazzo Pitti, which has been reproduced several times; the type with the crucifix should be recognized as entirely autograph in the version passed from Dorotheum in Vienna on 24/04/2024, signed and dated 1648. Some other versions of this type are known to have emerged in the fifth decade from the Neapolitan workshop of the master under his strict control, to which our current specimen now adds.
of good quality
The following key elements are brought to the buyer's attention, emphasizing their importance and potential value:
Recent Auction Proposal: The painting was recently offered at auction by Bertolami Fine Art on 11/13/2025, with an estimated price range of €13,000 to €18,000.
Critical Recognition: The work received an important mention from the specialized website Artness, which selected it among the top six lots of that auction round, highlighting its quality and collector interest.
Historical and Cultural Context: It is noted that this coincides with the celebrations for the Eighth Centenary of the Death of Saint Francis of Assisi, which will take place in 2026 and will draw global attention to the figure of the Patron Saint of Italy, potentially increasing interest in works inspired by him.
Conservation Status: The work is accompanied by the attached photographic restoration report, which comprehensively documents the current conditions and the interventions carried out.