Knowledge of the aims and accomplishment of Ribalta is essential to a better understanding of Velasquez and Murillo. The lack of a good monograph on his work is rather surprising in view of the fact that he has for three centuries maintained high rank among Spanish painters and stands today in deserved esteem in Spain. In preparing this volume, Delphine Darby has seen every attributed painting known to exist and has, wherever possible, made accurate measurements. This thorough familiarity with her subject, together with the mass of new facts and the large number of photographs she has assembled, will give her work an outstanding position in the literature of Spanish painting.