Jusepe De Ribera, The Drawings, Catalogue raisonne

This book is the first complete catalogue raisonne of the drawings of Jusepe de Ribera (Jativa, Valencia, 1591-Naples, 1652). A follower of Caravaggio, he trained in Rome and subsequently became a painter to the viceregal court in Naples. Ribera's drawings played a central role in his art. This catalogue raisonne reveals his impressive technical skills, equally evident in his use of pen and ink, red chalk and wash, while emphasizing the remarkable range of the subjects he depicted. The main text by Gabriele Finaldi explores specific themes within Ribera's activity as a draughtsman,from his sources, signatures and the most prominent collectors of his drawings to his preparatory studies and the variety of his subject matter. This text is followed by entries on the 157 surviving drawings considered autograph, 5 sheets attributed to Ribera and 31 rejected attributions by the artist no win museums, institutions and private collections around the world. In conjuction with the publication of this catalogue raisonne, the Museo del Prado in Madrid and the Meadows Museum, SMU, in Dallas have co-organised two monographic exhibitions: Ribera: Master of Drawing and Between Heaven and Hell: The Drawings of Jusepe de Ribera. They include already-known drawings by the artist and other recently attributed sheets, in addition to paintings and prints, with the aim of illustrating the importance of drawing within Ribera's oeuvre and its independent status.