Saint Gregory the Great, Pope

Pope Gregory the Great is one of the Four Fathers of the Church painted by Goya between 1796 and 1799. / The strong influence of Murillo pervades the picture, which means that Goya probably painted it while staying in Seville in 1798. The skilled brushstrokes and strong expression of the white and golden colors and the face stand out. As typical with Goya, the figure is on a neutral background and he concentrates the personality of the Pope in his face. Thus, he manages to capture symbolically with a gesture and look the work for which the Pope was known. His hand resting firmly on the book on his knees shows that he is one of the great spiritual leaders of the Western Church.