Painted by Manuel Henriques, S. J. – a lay brother of the Society of Jesus – this canvas illustrates appropriately the period of the missions to the Far East and the emergence of new religious themes in 17th century Portuguese painting. According to the inscription, Francisco Aranha, a Jesuit priest, died in India in 1583 during his evangelizing mission. Here he is depicted as a martyr-hero, represented on a scale larger than his executioners. The drama of the scene dissolves in the exaltation arising from the idealized pose. This accentuates the painting’s pedagogic component making it an exemplary proof of the Catholic faith.