The Tree of Life

"The Tree of Life" is a work by Ignacio de Ries, a 17th-century Baroque painter. The painting, completed in 1653, is located in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in the Segovia Cathedral, and is part of a collection of six canvases by the same artist.

The painting features a tree, a skeleton, the figure of the devil, and Jesus Christ. The upper part of the work is particularly striking due to its depiction of a party, representing the deadly sins. The canvas also includes two written verses: "BEHOLD THAT YOU MUST DIE / BEHOLD THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW WHEN" and "BEHOLD THAT GOD LOOKS AT YOU / BEHOLD THAT HE IS WATCHING YOU."

The entire collection by Ignacio de Ries was commissioned in 1653 for the chapel, whose patronage had been granted to Captain Pedro Fernández de Miñano y Contreras.