José de Ribera

'The Adoration of the Shepherds' by José de Ribera in 1650. The newspaper calls him 'Lo Spagnoletto' which means 'The Little Spaniard' in Spanish. 

In 'Modern Artists: A Series of Illustrated Biographies' (1880-84) there is a print of Ribera at work, studying a life model.  

Ribera also painted St Paul the Hermit realistically in 1638. Here it is with an earlier icon of the same Saint.

*St Paul the Hermit was a 3rd century saint who escaped persecution by retreating to the Egyptian desert. He made his clothes from palm leaves and ate from the tree too.  He spent his time meditating. When he was 43, a raven started bringing him half a loaf of bread every day. He stayed in the desert for 100 years.