Francisco Herrera the Elder

Francisco Herrera (c. 1590 – 1656) was a Spanish painter, born in Seville. He was the founder of the Seville school. He is known as El viejo, "the elder," to distinguish him from his son Francisco Herrera the Younger, also a noted painter.

Francisco Herrera was born in Seville around 1590, and studied painting under Francisco Pacheco.

His talent brought him many pupils, including Ignacio de Iriarte and a thirteen-year-old Diego Velázquez, and he stood godfather to the Spanish-born Portuguese painter Josefa de Óbidos. Herrera's temper, however, drove many of his students away; Velázquez left after a year. Two of Herrera's three children also became alienated from him, his son Francisco ("el Mozo") leaving for Rome, and his daughter entering a nunnery. His other son, "el Rubio" (the ruddy), died young.

Herrera, who was an accomplished worker in bronze, engraved medals skilfully. This gave rise to the charge of counterfeiting, and he fled for sanctuary to the Jesuit College, for which he painted "The Triumph of St. Hermengild", a picture so impressive that when Philip IV saw it (1621) he immediately pardoned the painter. Herrera thereupon returned to Seville.