RIBERA, Jusepe de
(b. 1591, Játiva, d. 1652, Napoli)

Holy Trinity

1635-36
Oil on canvas, 226 x 181 cm
Museo del Prado, Madrid

The Trinity shows Ribera's confidence in his pictorial possibilities. The tragedy of the scene is emphasized by the use of light and a sumptuous palette. The bluish cadaver of Christ, marked by blood that runs down his side, staining his loincloth and shroud, contrasts with the hieratic appearance of God the Father, who shows us his dead Son, accompanied by the dove of the Holy Ghost. This work's message, Christ's death and suffering for Humanity, is extraordinarily clear.

There is another, slightly different, version of this work at the Monastery of El Escorial.