Having been told of the death of his disciple Lazarus, Christ went to his grave in Bethany and commanded him to arise from the tomb. Lazarus arose, “bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin”. Among the witnesses to this event were Lazarus’ sisters Martha and Mary. Ribera emphasised the dramatic aspect of this subject, depicting a wide range of emotional sta
Like a new Atlas, Saint Christopher crosses the river carrying a child, who is in fact Christ bearing the world. Tradition had it that all those who evoked the saint would not die unconfessed on that day. The subject matter allowed Ribera to juxtapose the colossal size of the saint with the delicacy of the child, creating an image of great expressive power.