This canvas is part of the series of the four fathers of the church made by zurbarán for the convent of san pablo in seville. We are faced with a key work within the painter's initial period, in which some of the significant elements of his painting are already present. Thus, his taste for the meticulous reproduction of objects, which reaches its maximum splendor in his still lifes, and which in this canvas we can observe in two details such as the book that he holds with both hands, and the miter with the triple crown of the holy pope. This detail especially stands out in its ability to recreate the quality of the common lands, which take on great prominence in his painting. In this work we can intuit the lightness of the white alb finished with lace, the soft texture of the velvet of the cassock, the stole or the cape, and the mastery of the craftsman with the gold and silks in the rich embroidered border. The work transmits spirituality and transcendence, this reinforced by the intentional self-absorption of the figure, who appears to us concentrated on reading the book and with an expressive face with naturalistic features. The successful conjunction of lights and shadows, together with the masterful recreation of the textures and the intense inner life that the character transmits, result in a work of solemn monumentality. Object Type: painting. Genre: religious art. Date: between circa 1626 and circa 1627. Place of creation: Spain. Dimensions: height: 125 cm (49.2 in); width: 198 cm (77.9 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Depicted People: Gregory I. Collection: Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla. San Gregorio Magno, por Francisco de Zurbarán
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