Pentecost

Francisco Herrera the Elder (1590-1654)

• CE00030
• 1617
• Oil on canvas

This painting depicts two events that took place on the day of Pentecost. In the background is the Virgin surrounded by the apostles receiving the coming of the Holy Spirit and in the foreground, possibly the moment when Saint Peter speaks to the Israelites who, attracted by the Holy Spirit, appear in the cenacle.

It is the work of Francisco de Herrera the Elder, a painter who is representative of the evolution of painting in Seville in the first half of the 17th century with the gradual imposition of the new naturalistic airs and the abandonment of Mannerism until the arrival of freer and looser forms that would define the full Baroque.

It is a large work, just over 2 metres wide by 2.6 metres high. At a certain point in its history, probably several centuries ago, the canvas was folded for transport. Since then the painting has been subject to various interventions that have left their mark in the form of repainting and varnishes which, together with the accumulation of dirt, have spoiled the original appearance of the work. For this reason it has been restored by the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute (IPCE).