El Greco
Born – Crete, Greece 1541
Died – Toledo, Spain 1614
In Crete, this was a Venetian colony at this time, El Greco (real name Domenikis Theotocopoulos), painted religious icons in the Byzantine tradition. In about 1560 he went to Venice, where he became a pupil of Titian. He also worked in Rome before settling in Toledo, c.1570. His early work, with dramatic use of light and shade, reveals strong Venetian influence. El Greco gradually evolved his mannered, highly individual style, featuring dynamic and distorted compositions with elongated figures, sweeping movement, as well as cold to acidic colours. The depth of the artist’s fervent spiritual beliefs was reflected in his increasingly ecstatic and visionary treatment of the many religious subjects he painted. El Greco painted several versions of Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple. The story comes from the Gospel of St Mathew and depicts Christ purifying the house of prayer through the expulsion of the moneychangers and merchants. Despite its traditional and solemn subject matter, El Greco injects vigour into the scene, making it powerfully his own. Characteristically, the figure of Christ is elongated – his dramatic gesture and contrasting red robe occupy centre stage, while the other figures recoil from and rotate around him.
Masterpieces:
- The Burial of Count Orgaz
- Resurrection
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About el greco
El Greco: Domenikos Theotokopoulos, 1541-1614 (Taschen Basic Art)
Michael Scholz-Hansel
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El Greco
David Davies
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El Greco to Velazquez
Laura Bass
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