EL GRECO
Domenicos Theotokopoulos
1541-1614
One of the Greatest Painters Of All Time
Visionary Spanish Mannerist Painter
Stylistically influenced by the following painters; - Titian, Tintoretto, Piero della Francesca and Duccio di Buoninsegna
Education - studied under Titian
Cause of Death - drowning
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In the
works that introduced him to
Spain, Christ Stripped of
His Garments on Calvary, El
Greco has freed himself from
Titian, and now seems as a
savage entering the world of
art with impetuous primeval
power. He displays his a
collection of Herculean
figures composed of real
flesh and blood, of barbaric
bone and marrow. The same
quality gives his painting
of the Holy Trinity a
primeval, brutal grandeur.
His picture in the church of
San Tome in Toledo, in which
members of a knightly order
solemnly attend the funeral
of count Orgaz, whose corpse
is lowered into a grave by
two saints, while Christ,
Mary, martyrs, and angels
hover in the air, this
penetrating painting in its
abrupt union of actual with
transcendental, already
heralds the visionary
painting of the seventeenth
century. His later works are
uncanny, ghostly paintings
of exaggerated line and
harsh color; which seem
executed in was colors
mingled with the mould of
corpses. In all respects he
seems a strange titanic
master; and not until more
is known of his life will he
stand revealed as an artist.
-- Richard
Muther, The History of
Modern Painting, Henry and
Co., London, 1896
Amazing
Facts
El Greco was born as
Domenikos Theotokopoulos in
the picturesque village of
Fodele on the island of
Crete .
As a youth El Greco
studied icon painting at a
local monastery
El Greco means The Greek.
El Greco was 26 when he fled
his homespun roots and
landed in the bustling
metropolis of Venice around
1566.
While in Venice El Greco was
worked in the studio of the
brilliant High Renaissance
artist Titian.
El Greco landed in Toledo,
Spain around 1578. He
considered Toledo to be his
spiritual homeland and met
the love of his life, the
voluptuous Dona Jeronima de
la Cuevas.
Although El Greco Dona
Jeronima never wed the union
did produce a love child, El
Greco named his son Jorge-
Manue.
El Greco was finically
shrewd and lived the life of
a rich man. Along with his
beautiful young mistress and
son, he lived in a sumptuous
house in Toledo and
entertained internationally
acclaimed writers, artist
and poets
El Greco's Most Famous Masterpeices
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