ZURBARÁN, Francisco de
(b. 1598, Fuente de Cantos, d. 1664, Madrid)

St Elizabeth of Thuringia

1635-40
Oil on canvas, 125 x 101 cm
Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao

St Elizabeth of Thuringia is an example of "divine portraits" depicting particular ladies dressed in period costume and personified in the saints. These portraits are representative of the quality Zurbarán reached in such compositions, showing an extraordinary command in the treatment of silks, brocades and embroidery.