Born in Madrid on April 9, 1614, and tragically deceased in the Escorial in 1685, the highly respected Spanish painter Francisco Rizi left a profound legacy. Rizi, a towering figure of the Madrilenian High Baroque, was of Italian descent and distinguished himself by his masterful use of color and form. One of eleven children of the Italian painter Antonio Ricci and Gabriela Guevara, he was born into the world of art. Rizi's passion for the visual arts was decisively influenced by the work of his father, who worked with Federico Zuccaro in the walls of the monastic palace of the Escorial.

Rizi began his apprenticeship with Vicente Carducho and quickly joined the royal court, where he demonstrated his skills in the decoration of the magnificent "Golden Hall" of the Alcázar of Madrid. This task paved the way for numerous other contributions to the royal court, including festive and stage decorations for the arrival of the royal consort Maria Anna of Austria in Madrid. As a stage painter, Rizi found a stage on which he could bring his skills in architecture and perspective to full fruition. He masterfully transferred the experience he gained to religious paintings, which can be admired in numerous churches in Madrid and Toledo, enriching them with impressive altarpieces and frescoes. In the heart of Toledo Cathedral, Francisco Rizi immortalized his deep connection to the Church in a rich abundance of artwork. Officially appointed painter of the cathedral in June 1653, Rizi created a wealth of works, including the impressive festive decorations for Semana Santa. He collaborated with Juan Carreño de Miranda on the dome frescoes of the octagon of Toledo Cathedral. Rizi, who was appointed painter to King Philip IV, was allowed to live in the Alcázar of Madrid from 1661, where he worked on the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors of the Alcázar, in close collaboration with Carreño and under the supervision of Diego Velázquez.

Despite intervening difficulties with the royal court, Rizi continued to receive significant commissions from the church. Among the most artistically significant was the decoration of the Chapel of Miracles in the Monastery Palace of the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, which still survives today. Working with Dionisio Mantuano, he created a masterful combination of illusion painting in fresco technique and devotional paintings in oil, representing a "definitive triumph of illusion painting." Among his students were Juan Antonio Escalante, José Antolí Inez and Antonio Palomino. His students helped his art to influence Spanish painting beyond his death. One of his most famous works is the painting "The Vision of St. Anthony", which is exhibited in the Royal Collection in Madrid. This painting depicts St. Anthony of Padua beholding the Christ child, and is an excellent example of Rizi's ability to combine dramatic lighting effects and fine detail. Despite his early death, Francisco Rizi left an impressive legacy, and his work can still be admired in museums and collections around the world. His significant contributions to Spanish art and his powerful depiction of figures and landscapes have made him an enduring symbol of the Baroque period.