Attributed to Francisco Herrera the Elder

The Sevillian artist Francesco Herrera the Elder trained under Francesco Pacheco and would go on to be a leading proponent of the bold and natural style that would define the Spanish school. This portrait records the likeness of the Spanish Jesuit saint Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía (1510-1572). He is shown with several attributes: the Jesuit sunburst, the red cardinal’s hat, a skull crowned with a diadem (a reference to his formal role as viceroy of Catalonia), and the Borgia Bull. This large portrait can be possibly linked to several other paintings that Francesco Herrera made for the Jesuits in his hometown of Seville, many of which are today in the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville, including a portrait of Saint Ignatius Loyola.¹

^1. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/san-ignacio-de-loyola/WAE0ds2EEYystw