The 15th May is the Feast of San Isidro, the patron saint of Madrid. In this image by Bartolomé González we see the farmer -saint kneeling in prayer while angels have been sent to help him manage both his work and his prayer life.
González was born in Valladolid, and studied under Patricio Caxés and Juan Pantoja de la Cruz. He moved to Madrid, where he is documented from 1607 working for the Royal Court with Rodrigo de Villandrando and Andrés López Polanco. From 1617 he served as painter to King Philip III of Spain. His work was almost exclusively dedicated to the production of portraits of the royal family, making this image of San Isidro a rare example of a religious work, although showing the strong characterisation you would expect from a portrait painter.
¡Viva San Isidro! ¡Viva Madrid!
The Arts of Golden Age Spain and the Hispanic World 