Magdalena Ventura with Her Husband and Son 1631

Editor: Jusepe de Ribera's 1631 oil painting, "Magdalena Ventura with Her Husband and Son," strikes me as remarkably bold. There's something very confrontational in its directness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Confrontational, yes, absolutely. Ribera wasn't one to shy away from the peculiar. To paint a woman with a noticeably masculine face, bearded like a man, openly breastfeeding—it disrupts everything we expect. Do you find it disturbing? Is it pushing those Baroque boundaries a bit too far? Editor: Disturbing isn't exactly the right word. Perhaps fascinatingly unnerving? It challenges our preconceptions of gender, family, and even beauty. I mean, how could it not with its stunning realism? I find myself thinking about the performative aspects of family. Curator: It's deeply human, isn't it? Look at the faces—the father, standing slightly behind, seems so ordinary. And Magdalena's face! It's not just a beard; it's a lived-in face. This realism doesn't gloss over life’s imperfections. But do you notice the stone block on the right? The Latin inscription calls her a "great miracle of nature." Editor: Ah, so it was a sort of...sideshow attraction? The painting almost turns her into a specimen, rather than a person, but then Ribera captures a maternal warmth that is so undeniably genuine. Curator: Exactly! It is, on one hand, sensational. But simultaneously, Ribera is capturing the individual, and maybe poking fun at the aristocracy, their obsession with collecting curiosities... including people! It’s complex, a balancing act. Editor: Well, it's given me a lot to think about. This painting definitely won't let me forget it anytime soon. Curator: Indeed! Next time I’m challenged I´ll remember her brave look.