Juan de Valdes Leal was a Sevillian painter whose very individual technique and style stood him apart from other artists in Andalusia. He was a pupil of Antonio de Castello and was also heavily influenced by his friend Murillo. Valdes Leal was half Portuguese, the son of a goldsmith named Fernando de Nisa, but took his mother's name, who was from Andalusia. Details about his life are few but he was certainly regarded as an important figure in Seville. He lived with his wife Isabella Carasquilla, his son Lucas Valdes and his two daughter's (who were all painters) in the parish of San Andrés. He was one of the founding members of the drawing academy in Seville and became their head in 1665, having been elected the head of the S.Juan guild in 1660.

Valdés Leal was a prolific painter and most religious institutions in Seville can lay claim to one or more paintings by him. His style developed quickly from the almost crudely painted early paintings to the more mature works that appear betwwen 1654 and 1658. These pictures display a strong and bold use of colour as well as a vivacity and naturalness not seen in his later paintings. Always his primary concern was to achieve maximum dramatic effect and he was never shy to treat the more gruesome and violent aspects of the Bible or lives of the Saints. Perhaps his finest works are the Allegories painted for the Caridad hospital in Seville. It was after 1672 that his work begins to decline, probably due to the stroke he had suffered and it is likely that his son began to help him at this date. His unique and individual style sets him apart from the main canon of Spanish art of the 17th Century.

Museums where examples of the artist's work can be found include:

Barcelona, Barnard Castle (Bowes), Budapest, Cordova, Douai, Dresden, Dublin, Grenoble, Kansas, London (NG), Madrid (Prado, Cerralbo), Narbonne, New York (HSA) Paris, Seville, St. Petersburg and Toledo.