Allegory of Sight
Jusepe de Ribera·1615
Historical Context
This Allegory of Sight from 1615 belongs to a series of the five senses that Ribera painted during his early years in Italy, before settling permanently in Naples. Such allegorical series were popular with educated collectors who valued their combination of philosophical content and naturalistic figure painting. The subject allowed the young Ribera to demonstrate his emerging mastery of Caravaggesque naturalism while engaging with the intellectual tradition of sensory allegory that fascinated Baroque philosophers and scientists.
Technical Analysis
Close observation of the figure examining an object demonstrates Ribera's early commitment to direct, unidealized naturalism. The Caravaggesque lighting is still developing, with somewhat softer contrasts than his fully mature tenebrism.
