This scene represents an audience the Catholic Kings supposedly gave to the maximum representative of the Jews after they ordered the expulsion of his people. According to literary tradition, the inquisitor, Torquemada, burst into the audience and threw a crucifix on the table, exclaiming that the money offered by the Jew to avoid expulsion should not be accepted, and comparing it with the money for which Judas betrayed Christ. Sala painted this work during his stay in Paris, where the subject matter was not fully understood. In Madrid, it was shocking because of its modern approach, which conflicted with its out-of-date historical theme, no longer in vogue when this painting was made. The sumptuous decoration and the elegance of certain figures recall Parisian painting of that time. The vertical format is another innovative aspect, and was practically unknown at that time. The brilliant and fiery colors along with the atmospheric use of light foreshadow the best of Valencian Luminism from the end of the century. Acquired in 1892 for the Prado Museum, it was later sent to the Museum of Modern Art.