Spanish school; first half of the 19th century.

Spanish school; first half of the 19th century. "The Conversion of Saint Francis Borgia". Oil on canvas. Relined It presents repaintings, and frame of the 19th century redecorated with faults. Measurements: 34,5 x 42,5 cm; 22 x 30 cm (frame). San Francisco de Borja (1510-1572), General of the Society of Jesus, Duke of Gandía and Marquis of Lombay, great of Spain and Viceroy of Catalonia, was a descendant of the kings of Navarre and the crown of Aragon, great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI and great-great-nephew of Pope Calixtus III. He was canonised in 1671 by Pope Clement X. His figure began to be depicted in art very early on, almost shortly after his death. His most distinctive iconographic elements are the skull (sometimes crowned), a reminder of his horror and the reason for his change of life when he discovered the decomposition of the Empress Isabella of Portugal on his way to deliver her body in Granada; the ducal crowns on the ground, a sign of his renunciation of all earthly things; and the cardinal's mitres and hoods, also rejected by him. He is also usually depicted with a serene, deeply expressive face, a reflection of his inner self. Another element typical of his iconography is the monstrance, which represents his defence of the Eucharist. It is possible that this work reflects the death of Isabella of Portugal, as Francisco de Borja organised the retinue that escorted the body of the empress to her tomb in the Royal Chapel in Granada, where she was to be buried alongside the remains of the Catholic Monarchs. This relationship is established by the presence of the tomb in the centre, where the shrouded corpse lies. The scene is conceived with a concave composition, with the saint in the centre, allowing the viewer to form part of the large procession that swirls around the tomb.