This painting has a 'votive' function: it was painted to fulfil a vow. It shows a woman sitting on the right suffering from an uncontrollable nosebleed: she is called Mercedes Velasco. She has called in a physician, who stands in the centre, but he cannot help her: he wears a resigned expression and has his arms folded to show he can do no more. Mrs Velasco then makes a vow to the crucified Christ that if she survives this haemorrhage, she will have a votive picture of the scene painted, and will dedicate it to Jesus Christ under his title of Lord of the Abandoned (Señor de los Desamparados). The existence of the painting is evidence that she did recover. It is one of several votive or 'ex voto' paintings acquired by Henry S. Wellcome from Italy, Spain, France and elsewhere.