Santa Úrsula con las once mil vírgenes

The Master of the Once Mil Vírgenes (Eleven Thousand Virgins) was an anonymous Castilian painter active in the late fifteenth century, named after this painting of Saint Ursula with her legendary company. The cult of Saint Ursula and her eleven thousand virgin martyrs was popular across Europe, particularly in the Rhine region and Spain. This panel reflects the rich tradition of saints' legends in Spanish retablo art.

Oil on panel in the Hispano-Flemish manner with detailed rendering of the multiple figures. The compositional challenge of depicting the vast company of virgins is handled with the narrative skill typical of Spanish altarpiece painters.