Redpath travelled to Lisbon in 1961. Although she was not a church goer, she was fascinated by the ornate Baroque interiors of the Catholic churches in Portugal with their rich, earthy colourings and gold ornamentation. Redpath was particularly interested in the church altarpieces and made many painted studies of them on location, including this work. In her older age she enjoyed the peace of painting inside cool church interiors as opposed to the hot and busy streets outside where she would be constantly interrupted by inquisitive children.