He was the leading painter in Seville in the late 17th century, and his work was widely admired throughout Europe in the 18th century and much of the 19th. Though known mostly for his Counter-Reformation religious paintings, especially of the Immaculate Conception, he also painted lively scenes of women and children engaged in everyday activities. His early works were influenced by Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán. His fame rested on his skill in rendering Catholic dogma accessible in paintings that appealed to the faithful.