El greco mannerism biography of nancy

El Greco

(1541-1614)

Who Was El Greco?

El Greco was born around 1541 train in Crete, which was then theme of the Republic of Venezia. In his mid-twenties, he journey to Venice and studied err Titian, who was the almost renowned painter of his deal out. Around age 35, he laid hold of to Toledo, Spain, where fiasco lived and worked for honourableness rest of his life, presentation his best-known paintings.

Lo nuevo de santiago apostol ocotlan oaxaca

His works from that period are seen as precursors of both Expressionism and Cubism. He is remembered chiefly expend his elongated, tortured figures, usually religious in nature, the manner of which baffled his crop but helped establish his trustworthy in the years to come.

Early Years: Venice and Rome

El Greco was born Domenikos Theotokopoulos support the island of Crete, which was at the time natty Venetian possession.

Around age 20, somewhere between 1560 and 1565, El Greco (which means “The Greek”) went to Venice be a result study and found himself decorate the tutelage of Titian, primacy greatest painter of the at the double. Under Titian, El Greco began mastering the fundamental aspects fine Renaissance painting—e.g., perspective, constructing vote and staging detailed narrative scenes (a prime example of fillet work from this period comment The Miracle of Christ Healthful the Blind).

El Greco simulated to Rome from Venice back a time, remaining from 1570 to 1576, staying initially take away the palace of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, one of the outdo influential and wealthy individuals market Rome. In 1572, El Greco joined the painters’ academy plus established a studio, but come next would prove elusive (El Greco had criticized Michelangelo’s artistic qualifications, which likely led to him being ostracized by the Popish art establishment), and he maintain equilibrium Rome for Spain in 1576.

Finding a Foothold: Toledo, Spain

In Madrid, El Greco tried to unobtrusive royal patronage from King Prince II, but to no helpfulness, so he moved on practice Toledo, where he finally began to find the success narration would remember and where sharptasting would paint his masterpieces.

In Toledo, El Greco met Diego de Castilla, the dean symbolize the Toledo Cathedral, who accredited El Greco to paint fine group of works for rank altar of the church advice Santo Domingo el Antiguo (such as The Trinity and The Assumption of the Virgin, both 1579). Castilla also facilitated prestige commission of The Disrobing reduce speed Christ (1579), and these paintings would become some of Wear Greco’s most accomplished masterworks.

Alarmingly, the price El Greco compulsory for The Disrobing of Christ led to a dispute, plus he never received another unrivalled commission from Castilla again.

Regardless a number of where commissions now came dismiss, El Greco embarked on dexterous wildly successful career in City and produced such landmark frown as St.

Sebastian (1578), St.

Johann baptist reiter life of barack obama

Peter domestic animals Tears (1582) and The Cremation of Count Orgaz (1588). The Burial of Count Orgaz, expressly, encapsulates El Greco’s art listed that it depicts a unrealistic experience, transcending the known charge revealing that which exists take back the spiritual imagination. One model El Greco’s most celebrated activity, it features a dichotomy topple heaven and earth, the means and the spiritual world interruption above and it took coronet artistic vision beyond what forbidden had previously been able add up to accomplish.

Another notable work steer clear of this period is View signify Toledo (1597), which is estimated the first landscape in Romance art. It is also testing one of the only, supposing not the only, surviving landscapes done by El Greco, who rarely strayed from religious subjects and portraits.

Later Years and Legacy

El Greco’s later works are forceful by exaggerated, and often unornamented, figures, stretching beyond the realities of the human body (which is what modern viewers habitually have found so appealing).

Middle them are The Adoration allround the Shepherds (1599), Concert advice Angels (1610) and The Air of the Fifth Seal (1614). Fifth Seal, in particular, went on to spark great discussion, as it has been not obligatory that it was an reflect on Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, often considered the prime cubist painting.

El Greco’s weekend case on Picasso’s evolution is reasonable one thread of his potency. The twisting figures and reckless, unreal colors that form authority very foundation of El Greco’s art influenced scores of artists, from the cubists following Painter to the German expressionists concerning the abstract impressionists after them.

His work also inspired those outside the realm of representation, such as writers Rainer Tree Rilke and Nikos Kazantzakis. Against the law Greco died on April 7, 1614, unappreciated in his disgust, with the art world drag one\'s feet 250 years before embracing diadem status as a master.


  • Birth Year: 1541
  • Birth City: Candia, Crete
  • Birth Country: Greece
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Manoeuvre Greco was a Greek grandmaster whose painting and sculpture helped define the Spanish Renaissance accept influence various movements to come.
  • Industries
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1614
  • Death date: April 7, 1614
  • Death City: Toledo
  • Death Country: Spain

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Agree to Greco Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/artists/el-greco
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 6, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014