A masterpiece of the artist’s maturity, this painting combines the naturalism and quality of physical presence associated with Caravaggio with the elevated formal language of Raphael. Spanish by birth, Ribera lived all of his adult life in Rome and Naples, which was ruled by a Spanish viceroy. During his early years in Rome, he adopted Caravaggio’s practice of working directly from posed models and this has enabled him to give vibrant presence to figures inhabiting a sacred realm.