Marble
University of Notre Dame
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Saint Paul the Hermit in Meditation

Date

1610 - 1611

Creator

Jusepe de Ribera

Location

Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

This loaned painting of St. Paul the Hermit by Ribera is typical of followers of Caravaggio in its dramatic lighting and raw, natural depiction of the physical effects of the years of fasting and an ascetic lifestyle. From the saint’s legend, the painting illustrates the daily delivery of a half loaf of bread and three dates by a raven. The saint grasps an upturned skull with his sunburned hands as he looks up and to the right, his gray beard and the tired skin of his torso are indicative of his advanced age. These motifs—the haggard depiction of an elderly bearded ascetic, the remarkably natural portrayal of the skull, and the isolation and devotion of the subject—were to become hallmarks of Ribera’s work. "Ribera’s half-length portrait of a saint is a stunning example of Counter-Reformation devotional art popular in the seventeenth century, and it richly complements the University’s collection of Italian religious narratives," said Cheryl Snay, Curator of European Art at the Snite Museum of Art. "Moreover, the artist’s emphatic naturalism and dramatic tension make it as compelling now as it was four centuries ago." from Calendar of Events, Fall 2019

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This loaned painting of St. Paul the Hermit by Ribera is typical of followers of Caravaggio in its dramatic lighting and raw, natural depiction of the physical effects of the years of fasting and an ascetic lifestyle. From the saint’s legend, the painting illustrates the daily delivery of a half loaf of bread and three dates by a raven. The saint grasps an upturned skull with his sunburned hands as he looks up and to the right, his gray beard and the tired skin of his torso are indicative of his advanced age. These motifs—the haggard depiction of an elderly bearded ascetic, the remarkably natural portrayal of the skull, and the isolation and devotion of the subject—were to become hallmarks of Ribera’s work. "Ribera’s half-length portrait of a saint is a stunning example of Counter-Reformation devotional art popular in the seventeenth century, and it richly complements the University’s collection of Italian religious narratives," said Cheryl Snay, Curator of European Art at the Snite Museum of Art. "Moreover, the artist’s emphatic naturalism and dramatic tension make it as compelling now as it was four centuries ago." from Calendar of Events, Fall 2019
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  • This loaned painting of St. Paul the Hermit by Ribera is typical of followers of Caravaggio in its dramatic lighting and raw, natural depiction of the physical effects of the years of fasting and an ascetic lifestyle. From the saint’s legend, the painting illustrates the daily delivery of a half loaf of bread and three dates by a raven. The saint grasps an upturned skull with his sunburned hands as he looks up and to the right, his gray beard and the tired skin of his torso are indicative of his advanced age. These motifs—the haggard depiction of an elderly bearded ascetic, the remarkably natural portrayal of the skull, and the isolation and devotion of the subject—were to become hallmarks of Ribera’s work. "Ribera’s half-length portrait of a saint is a stunning example of Counter-Reformation devotional art popular in the seventeenth century, and it richly complements the University’s collection of Italian religious narratives," said Cheryl Snay, Curator of European Art at the Snite Museum of Art. "Moreover, the artist’s emphatic naturalism and dramatic tension make it as compelling now as it was four centuries ago." from Calendar of Events, Fall 2019
  • This loaned painting of St. Paul the Hermit by Ribera is typical of followers of Caravaggio in its dramatic lighting and raw, natural depiction of the physical effects of the years of fasting and an ascetic lifestyle. From the saint’s legend, the painting illustrates the daily delivery of a half loaf of bread and three dates by a raven. The saint grasps an upturned skull with his sunburned hands as he looks up and to the right, his gray beard and the tired skin of his torso are indicative of his advanced age. These motifs—the haggard depiction of an elderly bearded ascetic, the remarkably natural portrayal of the skull, and the isolation and devotion of the subject—were to become hallmarks of Ribera’s work. "Ribera’s half-length portrait of a saint is a stunning example of Counter-Reformation devotional art popular in the seventeenth century, and it richly complements the University’s collection of Italian religious narratives," said Cheryl Snay, Curator of European Art at the Snite Museum of Art. "Moreover, the artist’s emphatic naturalism and dramatic tension make it as compelling now as it was four centuries ago." from Calendar of Events, Fall 2019
Jusepe de Ribera (Spanish, baptized 1591 - 1652)
1610 - 1611
Paintings
Oil on canvas
IL2019.005.001
asceticism
bread
devotional pictures
fruit
hermits
meditation
Paul the Hermit, Saint
skulls
Raclin Murphy Museum: 212
53 x 49 x 6 in. (134.62 x 124.46 x 15.24 cm)
Courtesy of the Cummins Collection

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at RMMACollections@nd.edu.