The Emperor Theodosius (4th century AD) prostrates himself before the Bishop of Milan, who absolves him in front of the cathedral and thus allows him to enter. The buildings are vaguely inspired by the architecture of Seville while some of the figures are portraits. The canvas is one of a series on the life of Saint Ambrose that Valdés Leal painted for Ambrosio de Spinola (1632-1684), Archbishop of Seville.
Ceán Bermúdez, Juan Agustín, Diccionario histórico de los más ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España, V, Imprenta de la Viuda de Ibarra, Madrid, 1800, pp. 110.
Kinkead, Duncan Theobald, Juan de Valdés Leal (1622-1690): his life and work, Garland Publishing, Nueva York-Londres, 1978, pp. 233-244.
Kinkead, Duncan Theobald, The Altarpiece of the Life of Saint Ambrose by Juan de Valdés Leal, The Art Bulletin: A Quarterly Published by the College Art Association (CAA), 64, 1982, pp. 473-481.
Valdivieso, Enrique, Juan de Valdés Leal, Guadalquivir, Sevilla, 1988.
Brooke, Xanthe, Murillo in Focus, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 1990.
Valdivieso, Enrique, Valdés Leal, Museo del Prado; Junta de Andalucía, Madrid, 1991, pp. 34-35.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Pintura barroca en España 1600-1750, Cátedra, Madrid, 1992, pp. 376.
Museo Nacional del Prado, Memoria de actividades 2002, Madrid, 2003, pp. 46-53.
Álvarez Lopera, José, Valdés Leal: la vida de San Ambrosio, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 2003, pp. 84 (con bibl. actualizada).
Inv. Nuevas Adquisiciones (iniciado en 1856). Núm. 2639.
Valdés Leal. La vida de San Ambrosio
Sevilla
20.01.2004 - 18.04.2004
Serie San Ambrosio, Valdés Leal
Madrid
20.10.2003 - 04.01.2004
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