Saint Januarius leaves the furnace

Naples has trusted its fate to one saint above all others, Januarius, whose dried blood the city still gathers to watch for a sign. This painting shows an older story about him. Roman authorities, the legend says, threw the bishop into a blazing furnace to be rid of him, and he walked out untouched. Ribera, a Spaniard who spent his career in Spanish-ruled Naples and became its leading painter, took the commission in 1643 and finished in 1646. He worked on copper rather than canvas, which lets the flames and the saint's robes hold a hard, enamel-like shine. The chapel it hangs in was built by the people of Naples themselves, a vow made to their protector.