San Ignacio de Loyola

In this painting Cabrera depicts Saint Ignatius Loyola dressed in the black, anklelength habit of his order, and with an assured, eloquent upward-gazing demeanor. The Jesuit saint is accompanied by various symbols; grasped in Ignatius' hand, the rule of his order bearing his distinctive motto, Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam ("To the greater glory of God"); the anagram with the name of Jesús on the red banner borne by an angel on the left-hand side of the composition; at the saint's feet, in clear reference to the heresy that was stamped out by him, is a naked woman with a serpent, accompanied by some books that contradict Christian doctrine. The saint is looking towards a small burst of glory inside which is a triangle, probably alluding to the fervent devotion to the Holy Trinity of the founder of the Jesuit Order. Given its small size, this piece may have been painted for use in private worship, forming part of a pious household interior. This work passed to the MUNAL from the San Diego Viceregal Painting Gallery in the year 2000.