The canvas represents the apotheosis of the visigoth prince saint hermenegild (564-585), who was the son of king leovigild and his first wife and brother of king recaredo. He was educated in the arianism prevailing among the visigoths of the peninsula at that time (unlike the hispano-romans, who were mostly catholic). His conversion to catholicism brought him into conflict with his father and provoked a military conflict, which would end with his capture and death. He was canonized in 1585 as a martyr of the catholic church; he is the patron saint of converts and his holiday is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, on april 13. Herrera the elder was trained within the mannerist spirit that painters like pacheco had imposed, but he progressively abandoned this initial orientation to decisively integrate into the naturalist current. The museum preserves some of its best works such as the apotheosis of san hermenegildo. The scene is divided into two registers: the heavenly and the earthly. In the breaking of glory, saint hermenegildo appears triumphant surrounded by angels. In the tierra area, san isidoro subdues leovigildo and san leandro protects recadero, the future king who would proclaim the catholicism of spain at the third council of toledo. The canvas shows the characteristics of the maturity of his style with energetic, loose brushstrokes that model faces of accentuated individuality and a color range in which golden brown and black predominate. Object Type: painting. Genre: religious art. Date: Hacia 1620 – 1624. Dimensions: height: 523 cm (17.1 ft); width: 326 cm (10.6 ft). Medium: oil on canvas. Depicted People: Hermenegild. Collection: Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla. La Apoteosis de San Hermenegildo, por Herrera el Viejo
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