Ribera executes several fine male portraits and a self-portrait.
In the early 1630s, Ribera’s style changes away from strong contrasts of dark and light to a more diffused and golden lighting.
Salvator Rosa and Luca Giordano are his most distinguished followers, who may have been his pupils; others are also Giovanni Do, Enrico Fiammingo, Michelangelo Fracanzani, and Aniello Falcone, who is the first considerable painter of battle-pieces.
Ribera has been portrayed as selfishly protecting his prosperity, and is reputed to have been the chief in the so-called Cabal of Naples, his abettors being a Greek painter, Belisario Corenzio and the Neapolitan, Giambattista Caracciolo.
It is said this group aimed to monopolize Neapolitan art commissions, using intrigue, sabotage of work in progress, and even personal threats of violence to frighten away outside competitors such as Annibale Carracci, the Cavalier d'Arpino, Reni, and Domenichino.
All of them were invited to work in Naples, but found the place inhospitable.
