Initially associated by Benedict Nicolson with the circle of Baburen and later with Wouter Crabeth, this painting was independently attributed and published in 2003 by Gianni Papi and Nicola Spinosa as an important early work by Jusepe de Ribera. According to these scholars, the canvas was executed shortly after Ribera’s arrival in Rome, at a time when he was strongly influenced by the French and Flemish Caravaggists. They highlight pronounced stylistic affinities between this composition and the signed Saint Jerome, now in a private collection in Toronto, particularly the superior quality of the paint application and the visible brushstrokes, which the artist moulded into form through skilful illumination.