17th century Italo-Spanish school of painting characterized by pictures of torture and martyrdom in a Tenebrist style (painted in a low key and emphasized light-shade contrasts) derived from Caravaggio, exemplified in the work of Ribera (called Il Spagnoletto).

Caravaggio's stay in Naples and the works he did there had a decisive effect on young painters. Ribera belongs as much to Spanish art as to the Neapolitan school which started with Giovanni Battista Caracciolo, called Battistello, a pupil of Caravaggio and fresco painter. To Caravaggesque influences were added Bolognese ones, e.g. Massimo Stanzione, who decorated numerous churches in Naples. Mattia Preti, who became the leader of the Naples school after Ribera, is more important. His dramatic and violent art combines echoes of Caravaggio, Guercino and Venice. Bernardo Cavallino died young but left small-scale works of charm and delicacy.

Landscape painting was exemplified with sombre romantic imagination by Salvator Rosa, who also painted battle pieces which were emulated by Aniello Falcone. among painters of architecture was Monsù Desiderio (identified as Didier Barra and François Nomé) whose fantastic works were by at least three different artists.

17th century Neapolitan painting ended with the virtuoso Luca Giordano, famous decorator. In 1692 he was in Spain, where he decorated the Escorial.

In the first half of the 18th century Naples was an extremely lively artistic centre. Francesco Solimena, the most important painter of his days in Naples, was influenced by Lanfranco, Mattia Preti and Luca Giordano, he decorated many Neapolitan churches and trained many pupils who perpetuated his Baroque style.