Jusepe de Ribera: The Martyrdom of Saint Philip (1638)

(Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain)

A painting by the Spanish artist Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652). This piece shows the martyrdom of Philip the Apostle. After the resurrection of Jesus, Philip was sent with his sister Mariamne and the apostle Bartholomew to preach in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria. According to the story, Philip converted the wife of the proconsul of the city. This enraged the proconsul, and he had Philip, Bartholomew, and Mariamne all tortured with Philip and Bartholomew also crucified. While being crucified Philip continued to preach from his cross. As a result of this preaching, the crowd released Bartholomew from his cross, but Philip insisted that they did not release him, and Philip died on the cross. this painting was probably commissioned by Ramiro Felipe Núñez de Guzmán, II Duke of Medina de las Torres, as a gift to King Philip IV of Spain (saint Philip was the patron saint of Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán and king Philip IV). Painting from 1638.