St. Jerome hearing the trumpets from the Last Judgement

Saint Jerome Hearing the Trumpets of the Last Judgment, attributed to Ribera's circle, depicts the dramatic moment when the church father envisions the final reckoning that he described vividly in his correspondence. Jerome's apocalyptic visions, recorded in his letters, provided artists with opportunities for dramatic expression combining intense psychological states with the physical naturalism of the Neapolitan tradition. While the attribution to Ribera himself has been debated, the work reflects the influence of his circle and his developed approach to sacred drama. The strong chiaroscuro and direct observation of emotional extremity reflect the Neapolitan Baroque tradition that Ribera founded, in which the confrontation between physical humanity and divine power was rendered with maximum visual intensity.

The saint's startled reaction to the celestial trumpets creates a composition of dynamic tension. The strong chiaroscuro typical of the Ribera workshop creates dramatic contrasts between the illuminated face and the surrounding darkness.