Nicknamed Lo Spagnoletto — “the little Spaniard” — is one of the true heavyweights of European Baroque. As the second great Caravaggesque master in our trilogy, he left a brutal, unforgettable mark on Neapolitan painting. A bold champion of raw tenebrism, Ribera stood out as one of Caravaggio’s fiercest heirs, while forging his own intense visual language — a mix of visceral drama, anatomical precision, and spiritual impact that hits you right in the gut.

Some colors travel through time in silence, seeping into paint layers, fabrics, flesh, and shadows. Crimson alizarin is one of them.

He simplifies, he condenses. He stages. And above all, he changes painting — for good. This article looks at that turning point.