Francisco ribalta biography

Note: Tenebrism was a style of painting which uses dramatic illumination to direct the viewer's attention, and contrasts of light and dark (chiaroscuro) to boost the three-dimensionality of human figures. Although Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is credited with pioneering tenebrism, it was developed significantly by Caravaggio (1571–1610) during the early period of Baroque art, who used it to great effect.

To what extent Ribalta's tenebrism was influenced by Caravaggio, is unclear. Some historians consider that Ribalta was developing tenebrist tendencies before Caravaggio's works became widely known.

Career

Little is known of Ribalta's apprenticeship. Born in Catalonia in 1565, it is known that he travelled to Madrid in 1581 where he studied paintings in the Royal Collection.

In the capital, he met Italian Mannerist artists who were decorating the Escorial Palace and, under their influence, developed his early style of a Francisco Ribalta – Vikipedija LUTUF