(the Elder; Spanish, el Viejo). Born 1576 in Sevilla; died 1656 in Madrid. Spanish painter.
A leading member of the Sevilla school, Herrera moved to Madrid in 1650. He studied Italian art, particularly the Venetian painters, and went on to become the first teacher of D. Velaz quez. At the height of his career, Herrera produced religious paintings that were striking in their realistic representations of people. His works are marked by a broad range of style and by skillful rendering of chiaroscuro. Notable examples of his artistry are the paintings from the life of St. Bonaventure that were com missioned by the Franciscan convent in Sevilla (1629) and the painting Saint Basil Preaching His Doctrine (1639, Louvre, Paris). Herrera also produced genre paintings, engravings, and medals.