A precociously talented artist, scarcely out of his teens, was in 1620 commissioned to paint the portrait of a nun passing through his home city of Seville on her way to one of the farthest outposts of Spain's vast empire.
His painting reveals a shrewd woman in late middle age, who clasps a book in her left hand while wielding a crucifix, almost as if it were a weapon, in her right. Christ is turned towards the viewer, his left leg crossed slightly over his right and his body fixed to the instrument of his death by four nails: one through each palm; one through each foot.
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, would go on to become the most famous artist of Spain's golden age. The 66-year-old nun, Mother Jerónima de la Fuente, would sail to Mexico and traverse the country to board another ship across the Pacific Ocean, founding the first convent in the Philippines, where she would die nine years later after a long life of devotion and physical penance.
Esta historia es de la edición March 01, 2025 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 01, 2025 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
McIlroy insists he will walk away from golf before he is 50
As Tiger Woods begins his recovery from yet another injury, Rory Mcllroy has firmly dismissed any notion of his own career stretching into his 50s.
Driouech's deft chip earns PSV draw but Arsenal march on
On a night when Arsenal ended the game with four left-backs on the pitch, this may not have been the biggest stage of Raheem Sterling's illustrious career.
'Our aspiration is to win the tournament...that's not changed'
Luke Cowan-Dickie back in for Jamie George at hooker; Ben Curry returns at flanker, Ben Earl shifts to No 8 and Tom Willis is on the bench.
Formula One 'I'm a competitive guy, I like to be good at everything I do'
Ollie Bearman has a full-time drive in F1 with Haas at the age of 19 but has made plenty of sacrifices to get there
City watchdog drops 'name and shame' for firms under scrutiny
The UK's financial watchdog has bowed to pressure and ditched a plan to frequently \"name and shame\" companies it is investigating.
Poor results at Puma and Zara owner amid fears demand in US is slowing
Unexpectedly poor results from the sports brand Puma and the fashion group Inditex, which owns Zara, have fuelled fears about slowing consumer appetite in the US amid uncertainty over Donald Trump's tariffs.
Regulators Say They Will Not Impose New Diversity Regulations on Financial Sector
The City's top two regulators have said they will not bring in new diversity and inclusion rules for financial firms because they want to avoid imposing extra \"regulatory burdens\" and costs, in the latest sign of a retreat from efforts to help underrepresented groups.
UK's Housing Market Slows as Stamp Duty Deadline Looms
Momentum in the UK housing market slowed last month as confidence was dampened by a looming stamp duty deadline and concerns over stubbornly high interest rates and the world economic picture.
President of Ecuador allies with US mercenary for 'war on crime'
Ecuador's president, Daniel Noboa, has announced a \"strategic alliance\" with the Donald Trump-supporting founder of the private military firm Blackwater, supposedly to reinforce his controversial \"war\" on crime.
I feel utter anger Move to boycott US spreads far
\"I feel utter anger. I cannot go on with this feeling inside. I cannot just go and play a tour of beautiful concerts,\" he said, descri# his horror at the authoritarian policies of Donald Trump.
