Musées de Langres – Maison des Lumières Denis Diderot – Musée d'Art et d'Histoire

Originally from Spain, the painter Jusepe de Ribera lived in Rome between 1612 and 1616. During that time, he adopted the manner and style of Caravaggio, active in the Italian capital from 1592 to 1607. This painting is a major early work by the Spanish artist. It shows Christ debating the doctors of the faith in the Temple. Works on this theme traditionally place Christ at the centre of the canvas, but Ribera positions him to the right, dividing the composition into two groups of figures separated by a diagonal line. The column reminds the viewer that the child is the son of God and symbolically connects the earthly and heavenly realms.

The child’s interlocutors respond to his words with gestures and comments. Reactions to the main exchange feed into other discussions in the background. Christ is teaching the doctors: some listen, others think or speak. The Word is physically and symbolically spreading across the room. The figures in the foreground form a semi-circle around a central void. The diagonal opens up the scene towards a dark background where other heads emerge. The gestures and faces are individual, the postures varied. Some figures turn their backs to the viewer. They are imposing and wrapped in sculptural cloaks. The whole gives an impression of verisimilitude, breaking with idealised Renaissance models.