Herrera, Francisco de, the Elder

Herrera, Francisco de, the Elder (circa 1576-1656), Spanish early baroque painter, who is regarded as the founder of the naturalistic 17th-century school of Seville (Seville). He reacted against the detailed, formalized style in which he was trained and, in his mature works, cultivated a more rigorous, realistic manner. His works, principally religious paintings such as Saint Basil Dictating His Rule (1639, Louvre, Paris), are characterized by wide, rough brushstrokes, bravura treatment of color, and a vigorous approach to the subject matter. He also painted genre scenes, an innovation that, along with his new technical methods, strongly influenced later Spanish painters, in particular Diego Velázquez.