born 0441; 1509, Badajoz, Spain
died May 9, 1586, Badajoz
Spanish painter.
He lived all his life in Badajoz, leaving only for occasional commissions. He is considered Spain's greatest Mannerist painter and is known especially for his emotional religious paintings. He always worked on panels, often depicting such subjects as the Ecce Homo, the Pietà, and the Virgin and Child. His paintings show the influence of Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael and are marked by detailed execution and the anguished asceticism of 16th-century Spain.
"The Virgin and Child," panel by Luis de Morales; in the National Gallery, London
By courtesy of the National Gallery, London; photograph, A.C. Cooper