His full name was Juan de Nisa y Leal Valdés; he was of Portuguese descent. He was born in Seville, and first worked in Córdoba. By 1656 Valdés Leal had apparently settled for life in Seville, where he became the chief rival of Murillo.
Juan de Valdes Leal
1622 - 1690
Works by Juan de Valdes Leal
The Virgin Mary, crowned with 12 stars and standing on a crescent moon, is surrounded by flowers associated with her purity, a mirror and the crown denoting her position as Queen of Heaven.The painting refers to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (the belief that the Virgin was conceived w...
A winged angel, resplendent in billowing yellow fabric, reaches out to stay Abraham’s hand, preventing him from killing his only son, Isaac. To test Abraham’s faith, God commanded the ageing patriarch to sacrifice Isaac, relenting at the last possible moment. The glinting blade, already raised, m...