During the Manueline period, the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz became a symbolic, almost mythical site of nationhood, the king himself sponsoring an extensive remodelling programme. Two huge heraldic angels crowned the façade as protectors of the monarch and the kingdom, symbolised respectively by the armillary spheres and the shield. These dignified and serene angels frequently appeared in the work of Diogo Pires-o-Moço often supporting coats of arms. The taste for the picturesque, for details, such as the arrangement of the hair and the diadem, the rings, the clasp and the orphreys of the garments are special characteristics of this artist.