Prophets and Patriarchs is a series of fourteen oil on canvas paintings produced between 1638 and 1643 by Jusepe de Ribera along the nave walls of the church of the Certosa di San Martino in Naples, where they still hang. N. Spinosa, Ribera. L'opera completa, Napoli, Electa, 2003, pp. 338-339. Moses and Elijah hang behind the west facade, whilst the rest hang under the arches of the side chapels.
History The work was one of a set of commissions from Ribera by the Certosa beginning in 1638 and also included a Pietà for the sacristy (moved to its current home in the sala del Tesoro Nuovo at the end of the 17th century N. Spinosa, Ribera. L'opera completa, Napoli, Electa, 2003, pp. 179-185), The Last Supper for the choir and Saint Jerome, Saint Sebastian and Saint Bruno Receiving the Rule for the prior's private quarters, for a total commission of around 2,160 ducats. Nicola Spinosa, Pittura del Seicento a Napoli - da Caravaggio a Massimo Stanzione, Napoli, Arte'm, 2008, p. 377 He was paid 80 ducats per canvas in the set of twelve works in the side chapels and 50 ducats each for the two on the facade. N. Spinosa, Ribera. L'opera completa, Napoli, Electa, 2003, p. 115 Moses, Elijah and Noah were the first of the fourteen to be completed, with the others finished in the following five years - the last payment receipt was signed at the end of 1643 and eight of them are initially "J.R." in the bottom corner.
Catalogue +ImageTitleYearDimensionsNotesMoses1638168 × 97 cmSigned and dated «Jusepe de Ribera espanol / F. 1638».Elijah1638168 × 97 cmSigned and dated «Jusepe de Ribera espanol / F. 1638».Haggai1638-1643272 × 252 cmNoah1638271 × 254 cmSigned and dated«Jusepe de / Ribera es / panol / F. / 1638».Joel1638-1639270 × 252 cmInitialled and dated «J.R.a 163...».Amos1640272 × 256 cmInitialled and dated «J.R.a 1640».Obadiah1638-1643270 × 266 cmHosea1638-1643270 × 254 cmInitialled «J.R.a».Habakkuk1638-1643267 × 236 cmInitialled «J.R.a».Zephaniah1638-1643266 × 236 cmInitialled «J.R.a».Daniel1638-1643267 × 236 cmInitialled «J.R.a».Jonah1638-1643276 × 236 cmInitialled «J.R.a».Micah1638-1643268 × 243 cmSiglato «J.R.».Ezekiel1638-1643271 × 251 cm
Notes
References
Bibliography N. Spinosa, Ribera. L'opera completa, Napoli, Electa, 2003. N. Spinosa, Jusepe de Ribera, Milano, Giunti Editore, 1992.