José de Ribera, known as 'Lo Spagnoletto', was born in Játiva (Valencia, Spain) although he went to Italy before 20. Not much is know from his life in Spain, he is supposed to have studied in Valencia with Francisco Ribalta. In 1616 he settled down in Naples where he developed all his career and became the leading painter in his period.

He married painter Azzolino's daugther and he was with no doubt head of the Neapolitan school. He also painted a lot of pictures commissioned by his native country and he was widely known in Europe.

His art was formed in Caravaggesque tenebrism as he shows in bloody martyrdom scenes, but he gradually moved to luminous, calm and rich in colour paintings in which woman's beauty or picaresque humor reveal his remarkable capability of tenderness and his respect for the dignity of individual humanity.