Saint Januarius leaves the furnace

Ribera painted Saint Januarius Leaving the Furnace in 1646 for the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro in Naples. Saint Januarius (San Gennaro) was the patron saint of Naples, and the miracle of his blood liquefaction was the city's most important religious event. This painting depicts an earlier miracle in which the saint emerged unscathed from a fiery furnace, demonstrating divine protection. The commission was among the most prestigious available to a Neapolitan painter.

The dramatic composition contrasts the serene figure of the saint with the turbulent flames and astonished onlookers. Ribera's masterful handling of light effects captures both the natural illumination of the furnace and the supernatural radiance surrounding the unharmed saint.