All GRECO, El's oil paintings
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43783 A Lady in a Fur Wrap A Lady in a Fur Wrap Oil on canvas, 62 x 59 cm
43767 A Prelate A Prelate Oil on canvas, 107 x 90 cm
62344 A Prelate 1600s Oil on canvas A Prelate 1600s Oil on canvas 107 x 90 cm Kimbell Art Museum, Forth Worth The identity of the sitter was only established in 1988, despite the fact that the portrait must record a prominent figure. He was identified with Francisco de Pisa (c. 1537-1616), Professor of Holy Scripture at Toledo University, the author of a major history of Toledo and a prominent figure in ecclesiastical affairs in the city. The identification rests on the striking resemblance between his features and those of a documented miniature of Francisco de Pisa in a private collection, that was, at one time, ascribed to El Greco himself. The open book displayed on the table is identified by lettering on its pages as BOSIUS CANONICI, presumably an edition or commentary on the corpus of canon law. The author of the text is probably Francesco Bossi or Bosio (1500/10-1584), who specialized in law. In Rome Bossi was closely associated with Carlo Borromeo, one of the key figures of the Catholic reform. Author: GRECO, El Title: A Prelate , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , portrait
43743 A View of Toledo A View of Toledo Oil on canvas, 121,3 x 108,6 cm
7064 Adoration of the Name of Jesus (Dream of Philip II) dfh Adoration of the Name of Jesus (Dream of Philip II) dfh 1578-79 Oil on canvas, 190 x 140 cm Chapter House, Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial
62331 Adoration of the Shepherds Adoration of the Shepherds 11 x 47 cm Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome The two paintings in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome (Adoration of the Shepherds, Baptism of Christ) were considered workshop pieces or autograph replicas of two of the three pictures that El Greco executed for the Colegio di Do?a Mar?a de Arag?n in Madrid (now dispersed and housed in the Muzeul de Arta, Bucharest and the Museo del Prado, Madrid). However, a recent radiographic analysis (1997) has proven that they are original oil sketches by the hand of El Greco himself. The presence of pentimenti, compositional emendations beneath the paint surface, reveals the creative process of the artist and leads to the conclusion that these are not copies but preparatory bozzetti for the Madrid cycle. The important commission, probably designed as a triptych to decorate the high altar of the chapel, was given to El Greco in 1596: work continued until the Holy Year of 1600. The third oil sketch, depicting the Annunciation, is preserved at the museum in Bilbao. The silvery light, the coloristic range based on cold tones, the quick, almost impressionistic brushwork and the use of strong contrasts of light and shadow in this picture are all typical characteristics of El Greco's Spanish manner (1576-1614). Author: GRECO, El Title: Adoration of the Shepherds , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
62335 Adoration of the Shepherds Adoration of the Shepherds 1596-1600 Oil on canvas National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest The detail shows the lower part of the painting which was probably on the left of the retable of the Colegio de Do?a Maria. Author: GRECO, El Title: Adoration of the Shepherds (detail) , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43744 Allegory of the Camaldolese Allegory of the Camaldolese Oil on canvas, 124 x 90 cm
62337 Altarpiece Altarpiece 1597-99 - Capilla de San Jos? Toledo On 9 November 1597, El Greco signed a contract to execute a series of paintings for the newly built Capilla de San Jose (Chapel of Saint Joseph), Toledo. The contract specified that El Greco was to paint the altarpieces himself and design and gild the frames. The centrepiece of the decorative scheme was to be a painting of Saint Joseph and the Infant Christ with The Coronation of the Virgin above it. These two paintings, set in an altarpiece in a Palladian style designed by El Greco, though its surroundings were altered by Baroque additions around 1665, are still in situ; recent cleaning has revealed their masterly quality. In addition, El Greco was commissioned to paint two side altarpieces, Saint Martin and the Beggar hung on the left-hand side of the main altar, while The Virgin and Child with Saints Martina and Agnes was placed directly opposite, on the right-hand side of the altar, where they remained until they were sold in 1906 to the American collector Peter A. B. Widener, from his estate they entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 1942. The chapel was consecrated on 24 December 1594. At a later date, two sarcophagi were placed on either side of the main altar. Possibly designed by El Greco or his son Jorge Manuel, they are similar in design to the ark and the obelisk with a ball on top that appear in the background of El Greco's late Purification of the Temple from San Gin?s. Mart?n Ram?rez was buried to the left of the altar while Diego Ort?z and his wife were placed to the right, in each case with a plaque above stating that they were co-founders of the chapel. The two sculptures of David and Salomon, situated on either side of the main altar was possibly also designed by El Greco. Author: GRECO, El Title: Altarpiece , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
62353 An Allegory with An Allegory with 1577-79 Oil on canvas, 65 x 90 cm Private collection The central figure is closely based on El Greco's earlier painting of a Boy Blowing on an Ember in Naples but the scene has been enlarged to include another male figure, wearing a yellow jacket and red cap, and a chained monkey, who emerges from the darkness on the left to look over the boy's shoulder. The composition, known in two other autograph versions (one of similar size in Edinburgh from around 1590, and another smaller and later in the Prado from around 1600), has usually been interpreted as an allegory with some sort of moralising intent; it is unlikely that it was conceived simply as a genre scene. It bears the traditional title 'F?bula', meaning fable or story. Author: GRECO, El Title: An Allegory with a Boy Lighting a Candle in the Company of an Ape and a Fool (F?bula) , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , genre
43717 Angelic Concert Angelic Concert c. 1610 Oil on canvas, 115 x 217 cm
62348 Annunciation Annunciation 24 x 18 cm Galleria Estense, Modena Probably soon after his arrival in Venice El Greco painted the Modena Triptych. Here he adapts Renaissance principles of representation to a small-scale triptych of a post-Byzantine design common in the Venetian empire. As the wings of the triptych are opened in succession, the sequence of images reveals the state of Man before the Fall to his restoration to a state of Grace through Christ. The scene of The Annunciation is the left panel on the back of the triptych. The Modena Triptych strikingly illustrates El Greco's transition from post-Byzantine icon painter to European artist of the Latin variety. The portable altarpiece, whose unknown patron perhaps stemmed from a Creto-Venetian family, in its open state shows a total of six scenes: on the front, the central panel bears a rare depiction of the Coronation of the Christian Knight, and on the wings we find the Adoration of the Shepherds on the left and the Baptism of Christ on the right. On the reverse, a View of Mount Sinai with its famous convent of St Catherine is flanked by an Annunciation and an Admonition of Adam and Eve by God the Father. This type of object with its gilded frame elements was common in Cretan workshops of the 16th century, as is its use of wood as a painting support. Author: GRECO, El Title: Annunciation , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43708 Apostle St Andrew Apostle St Andrew c. 1610 Oil on canvas, 70 x 53,5 cm
62345 Apostle St Andrew Apostle St Andrew 97 x 77 cm Museo de El Greco, Toledo Apostle, was brother of Peter, a Galilean fisherman, and the first to follow Christ (John 1:40-41). The gospels contribute little to his iconography; the chief source is the apocryphal book of the 'Acts of Andrew' (3rd century), retold in the Golden Legend. According to this he made missionary journeys to Scythian Russia, Asia Minor and Greece, preaching and performing many acts of healing. At Nicaea he delivered the inhabitants from seven demons who plagued them in the shape of dogs. At Thessalonica the parents of a young man whom he had converted to Christianity set fire to his house, with Andrew and their son in it. When the young man miraculously extinguished the fire by sprinkling a small bottle of water over the flames, his parents, still seeking vengeance, tried to enter the house by climbing ladders, but were immediately struck blind. The Golden Legend tells of a bishop dining with the devil, disguised as a courtesan. Just as he was about to yield to Satan, Andrew entered in the garb of a pilgrim, and drove the devil away. Andrew was executed by Egeas, the Roman governor of Patras in the Peloponnese. The governor's wife, Maximilla, being cured of a fatal sickness by the apostle, adopted Christianity and was persuaded by him to deny her husband his marital rights ever again. This, and not his preaching, seems to have been the cause of Andrew's imprisonment and subsequent crucifixion. Andrew is the patron saint of Greece and Scotland. Among differing accounts of his relics, one tells of their being carried to the town of St Andrews in Scotland in the 4th century. Apostle St Andrew in Art He is usually portrayed as an old man, white-haired and bearded. His chief attribute is a cross in the shape of an X, or saltire, though in earlier Renaissance painting he may have the more familiar Latin cross. He sometimes has a net containing fish, or a length of rope (he was bound, not nailed, to the cross). His inscription from the Apostles' Creed is: 'Et in Jesum Christum, filium ejus unicum Dominum nostrum'. All these episodes from the legends are depicted, also the stages of his martyrdom: scourging; led by soldiers to his execution; being tied to the cross; crucifixion; burial, assisted by Maximilla. Author: GRECO, El Title: Apostle St Andrew , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43771 Apostle St Bartholomew Apostle St Bartholomew 1610-14 Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43768 Apostle St James the Greater Apostle St James the Greater 1610-14 Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43769 Apostle St John the Evangelist Apostle St John the Evangelist 1610-14 Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43772 Apostle St Matthew Apostle St Matthew 1610-14 Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43776 Apostle St Paul Apostle St Paul Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43770 Apostle St Philip Apostle St Philip Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43775 Apostle St Simon Apostle St Simon Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43774 Apostle St Thaddeus Apostle St Thaddeus Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43773 Apostle St Thomas Apostle St Thomas Oil on canvas, 97 x 77 cm
43786 Apparition of the Virgin to St Lawrence Apparition of the Virgin to St Lawrence 1578-80 Oil on canvas, 119 x 102 cm
7055 Assumption of the Virgin dfg Assumption of the Virgin dfg 1577 Oil on canvas, 401 x 229 cm Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
62347 Baptism of Christ Baptism of Christ 24 x 18 cm Galleria Estense, Modena The Baptism of Christ is the right panel on the front of the Modena Triptych. The Modena Triptych strikingly illustrates El Greco's transition from post-Byzantine icon painter to European artist of the Latin variety. The portable altarpiece, whose unknown patron perhaps stemmed from a Creto-Venetian family, in its open state shows a total of six scenes: on the front, the central panel bears a rare depiction of the Coronation of the Christian Knight, and on the wings we find the Adoration of the Shepherds on the left and the Baptism of Christ on the right. On the reverse, a View of Mount Sinai with its famous convent of St Catherine is flanked by an Annunciation and an Admonition of Adam and Eve by God the Father. This type of object with its gilded frame elements was common in Cretan workshops of the 16th century, as is its use of wood as a painting support. Author: GRECO, El Title: Baptism of Christ , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
62355 Christ Christ 61 x 46 cm National Gallery, Prague Author: GRECO, El Title: Christ , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43753 Christ as Saviour Christ as Saviour c. 1600 Oil on canvas, 73 x 56,5 cm
62341 Christ c Christ c 98 x 78 cm Cathedral, Toledo This painting belongs to the series of Apostles (Apostolodos) in the Toledo Cathedral. Author: GRECO, El Title: Christ , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
7054 Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple dfh Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple dfh 1571-76 Oil on canvas, 117 x 150 cm Institute of Arts, Minneapolis
43781 Christ Healing the Blind Christ Healing the Blind Oil on canvas, 119 x 146 cm
7057 Christ Healing the Blind df Christ Healing the Blind df 1577-78 Oil on canvas, 120 x 146 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
7050 Christ Healing the Blind dfh Christ Healing the Blind dfh c. 1570 Oil on canvas, 50 x 61 cm Pinacoteca, Parma
7051 Christ Healing the Blind fg Christ Healing the Blind fg c. 1570 Oil on wood, 66 x 84 cm Gemäldegalerie, Dresden
43706 Christ in Agony on the Cross Christ in Agony on the Cross 1600s Oil on canvas, 104 x 62 cm
86551 Christ on the Cross Christ on the Cross Oil on canvas Dimensions 95.5 x 61 cm (37.6 x 24 in) cyf
62354 Christ on the Cross Adored by Two Donors Christ on the Cross Adored by Two Donors 1580 Oil on canvas Mus?e du Louvre, Paris On the painting a priest and a nobleman, probably the patrons who commissioned the painting, are shown praying before Christ on the cross. This detail shows the priest whose white surplice is similar to that worn by the priest in El Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz. He contemplates Christ's sacrifice with compassion and sobriety, his gaze leading our eyes upwards to Christ. Author: GRECO, El Title: Christ on the Cross Adored by Two Donors (detail) , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43793 Christ on the Cross with the Two Maries and St John Christ on the Cross with the Two Maries and St John c. 1588 Oil on canvas, 120 x 80 cm
62350 Escutcheon Escutcheon 90 x 130 cm Private collection The sudarium (the cloth with which Veronica wiped Christ's face on the way to Calvary) is shown like a precious object, surrounded by a carved frame that is held by two cherubs or putti. (The cherubs were carved by Juan Bautista Monegro (c. 1545-1621). The ensemble formed part of the elaborate frame of the main altarpiece for the Cistercian convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo. Probably this was the last part of the altarpiece El Greco painted. In the painting, El Greco created a hauntingly disembodied likeness, with Christ staring at the viewer in the fashion of a Byzantine icon. Author: GRECO, El Title: Escutcheon with St Veronica's Veil , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43742 Female Portrait Female Portrait c. 1595 Oil on canvas, 40 x 33 cm
64058 holy family holy family painted 1594-1604 42x27 the prado museum, madrid
62339 Holy Family with Holy Family with 138 x 103,5 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest A repetition painted after the original made for the Hospital de Tavera in Toledo in 1595. Author: GRECO, El Title: Holy Family with St Anne , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
7065 Lady with a Fur sfhg Lady with a Fur sfhg 1577-80 Oil on canvas, 62 x 51 cm Private collection, Glasgow
43784 Mary Magdalen in Penitence Mary Magdalen in Penitence 1576-78 Oil on canvas, 157 x 121 cm
43785 Mary Magdalen in Penitence Mary Magdalen in Penitence 1578-80 Oil on canvas, 108 x 101 cm
43797 Mary Magdalen in Penitence Mary Magdalen in Penitence 1585-90 Oil on canvas, 109 x 96 cm
43778 Mount Sinai Mount Sinai 1568 Tempera on panel, 37 x 23,8 cm
43780 Mount Sinai Mount Sinai Oil and tempera on panel, 41 x 47,5 cm
43789 Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest 1583-85 Oil on canvas, 81 x 66 cm
62342 Penitent Magdalen Penitent Magdalen 118 x 105 cm Private collection Autograph version, signed 'dom?nikos theot?kopoulos epoiei'. It is a late composition of the artist, recalling the iconography of Titian. Author: GRECO, El Title: Penitent Magdalen , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43740 Poet Ercilla y Zuniga Poet Ercilla y Zuniga Oil on canvas, 44 x 41,5 cm
7068 Portrait of a Doctor dfh Portrait of a Doctor dfh 1577-84 Oil on canvas, 93 x 82 cm Museo del Prado, Madrid
43787 Portrait of a Gentleman from the Casa de Leiva Portrait of a Gentleman from the Casa de Leiva 1580 Oil on canvas, 88 x 69 cm
62338 Portrait of a Man Portrait of a Man 53 x 47 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York This painting was identified for long time as a self-portrait and as such it became one of El Greco's most famous portraits. However, lacking certified portraits of the artist, the identification is only a plausible hypothesis based on the resemblance of the sitter to other figures in El Greco's paintings that have also been thought to record the artist's features. There are several assumed self-portraits of the artist included in his compositions from the early Healing of the Blind to the Burial of Count Orgaz, then to the Pentecost, Marriage of the Virgin and the Adoration of the Shepherds. Regardless of the identification of the sitter, this is a fine and particularly compelling portrait by the artist, with the features painted with great sensitivity. The canvas has been trimmed on all sides. The signature on the painting proved to be false and was removed in 1947. Author: GRECO, El Title: Portrait of a Man , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , portrait
43716 Portrait of Cardinal Tavera Portrait of Cardinal Tavera 1608-14 Oil on canvas, 103 x 83 cm
7052 Portrait of Giulio Clovio dfy Portrait of Giulio Clovio dfy c. 1571 Oil on canvas, 63 x 88,5 cm Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples
43759 Portrait of the Artist's Son Jorge Manuel Theotokopoulos Portrait of the Artist's Son Jorge Manuel Theotokopoulos c. 1603 Oil on canvas, 74 x 51,5 cm
7058 Resurrection hhd Resurrection hhd 1577-79 Oil on canvas, 210 x 128 cm Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, Toledo
43758 Saint Bernardino Saint Bernardino 1603 Oil on canvas, 269 x 144 cm
43795 Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata 1585-90 Oil on canvas, 105 x 80 cm
43715 Saint Jerome Penitent Saint Jerome Penitent 1610-14 Oil on canvas, 166 x 110 cm
43709 Saint Peter Saint Peter 1610-13 Oil on canvas, 209 x 106 cm
43764 Saints Peter and Paul Saints Peter and Paul Oil on canvas, 124 x 93,5 cm
43802 St Andrew and St Francis St Andrew and St Francis 1595 Oil on canvas, 167 x 113 cm
43798 St Dominic in Prayer St Dominic in Prayer 1586-90 Oil on canvas, 118 x 86 cm
62300 St Francis and Brother St Francis and Brother 230 x 148 mm Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid This engraving was made after a painting by El Greco (now in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa). Prints played a key role in religious propaganda. In the Hispanic world, it was Dutch artists who performed this task. As a result, Spain lacked skilled engravers who might have reproduced El Greco's work for a larger audience
43754 St Francis and Brother Leo Meditating on Death St Francis and Brother Leo Meditating on Death 1600-02 Oil on canvas, 168,5 x 103,2 cm
43757 St Francis and Brother Rufus St Francis and Brother Rufus 1600-06 Oil on canvas, 102 x 65 cm
43796 St Francis in Prayer before the Crucifix St Francis in Prayer before the Crucifix 1585-90 Oil on canvas, 105,5 x 86,5 cm
43738 St Francis Meditating St Francis Meditating c. 1595 Oil on canvas, 147,3 x 105,4 cm
43791 St Francis Praying St Francis Praying Oil on canvas, 116 x 102 cm
43779 St Francis Receiving the Stigmata St Francis Receiving the Stigmata Tempera on panel, 28,8 x 20,6 cm
43794 St Francis Receiving the Stigmata St Francis Receiving the Stigmata 1585-90 Oil on canvas, 102 x 97 cm
43756 St Francis's Vision of the Flaming Torch St Francis's Vision of the Flaming Torch 1600-05 Oil on canvas, 203 x 148 cm
43755 St Francis-s Vision of the Flaming Torch St Francis-s Vision of the Flaming Torch 1600-05 Oil on canvas, 203 x 148 cm
43710 St Ildefonso St Ildefonso 1610-13 Oil on canvas, 219 x 105 cm
43762 St Ildefonso St Ildefonso Oil on canvas, 187 x 102 cm
62340 St Ildefonso St Ildefonso 112 x 65 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington This is a smaller replica of the picture in the Hospital de la Caridad in Illescas. It belonged once to the painter Jean Francois Millet, and later to Edgar Degas. The original painting is in the side altar on the left of the main chapel of the church, balancing the Virgin of Charity. Its original place in the church is not known. The painting is not mentioned in the incomplete documentation for the decoration of the chapel, and if, as is probable, it was not painted at the same time, it cannot date much before June 1603, the date of the contract, and was more likely painted soon after the conclusion of litigation in August 1607. In its present position, it makes a grand pair to the Virgin of Charity, and is one of the most splendid of his 'portraits' of Saints. It is difficult, and perhaps not proper, to separate his portraits of Saints from his actual portraits. In both he employs all his means of spiritual or psychological expression. The legend is that Saint Ildefonso, the first Bishop of Toledo, presented an image of the Virgin of the Mantle to a foundation of his in Illescas. The Saint is portrayed before the same image, as he wrote his dissertation on the Purity of the Virgin. The state of inspiration is brilliantly expressed. There is an infinite distinction in expression between the hand poised with the pen in this 'portrait' and the similar motif in the portrait of his son. Author: GRECO, El Title: St Ildefonso , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43714 St Jerome as a Scholar St Jerome as a Scholar 1600-14 Oil on canvas, 108 x 89 cm
62330 St John the Evangelist St John the Evangelist 90 x 77 cm Museo del Prado, Madrid There is an analogous version in the Cathedral of Toledo which is part of a series of the twelve Apostles, called Apostolados. It is assumed by some scholars that this painting also belonged to a similar series. Author: GRECO, El Title: St John the Evangelist , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
43765 St John the Evangelist and St Francis St John the Evangelist and St Francis c. 1608 Oil on canvas, 64 x 50
43747 St Joseph and the Christ Child St Joseph and the Christ Child Oil on canvas, 289 x 147 cm
43801 St Louis, King of France, with a Page St Louis, King of France, with a Page 1592-95 Oil on canvas, 120 x 96 cm
43763 St Luke St Luke Oil on canvas, 98 x 72 cm
43777 St Luke Painting the Virgin and Child St Luke Painting the Virgin and Child 41,6 x 33 cm
43748 St Martin and the Beggar St Martin and the Beggar 1597-99 Oil on canvas, 193 x 103 cm
43760 St Peter in Penitence St Peter in Penitence c. 1605 Oil on canvas, 102 x 84 cm
43792 St Peter in Penitence St Peter in Penitence 1580s Oil on canvas, 109 x 90 cm
7069 St Sebastian ghj St Sebastian ghj c. 1580 Oil on canvas, 192 x 148 cm Sacristy of the Cathedral, Palencia
43788 St Veronica Holding the Veil St Veronica Holding the Veil c. 1580 Oil on canvas, 84 x 91 cm
7063 St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata dfh St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata dfh 1577-79 Oil on canvas Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore
43749 St. Martin and the Beggar St. Martin and the Beggar c. 1604 Oil on canvas, 104 x 60 cm
43741 Study of a Man Study of a Man c. 1595 Oil on canvas, 49,5 x 42,5 cm
62328 The Adoration of the Shepherds The Adoration of the Shepherds 1614 Oil on canvas Museo del Prado, Madrid The picture shows the head of one of the shepherds.
62349 The Adoration of the Shepherds The Adoration of the Shepherds 114 x 105 cm Private collection In the eighteenth century this painting was attributed to Giovanni Lanfranco, and later to a member of the Bassano family. Since 1951 the authorship of El Greco is universally accepted. However, this picture owes a great deal to the nocturnal paintings of the Bassano. According to the X-radiograph the upper part of the canvas was completely repainted, and the canvas has been cropped at the top. Author: GRECO, El Title: The Adoration of the Shepherds , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
62343 The Agony in the Garden The Agony in the Garden 1608 Oil on canvas Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest Author: GRECO, El Title: The Agony in the Garden (detail) , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
62332 The Annunciation The Annunciation 315 x 174 cm Museo del Prado, Madrid The "expressionist" stylistic traits, characteristic of El Greco's paintings at the end of the 1590s, are also found in the paintings of a retable El Greco created for the Augustinian college of Nuestra Se?ora de la Encarnacion in Madrid between 1596 and 1600. The patroness of the college, the lady-in-waiting Do?a Mar?a de Cordoba y Arag?n, had died back in 1593, implying that the commission likely came from her executor. The retable, like many other works in possession of the Church, was disassembled into its component parts during the French occupation of Spain. All we know from the surviving written sources is that El Greco supplied a total of seven paintings. This Annunciation in the Prado is one of these paintings, and it is an especially good example of the daring palette that characterizes the entire series. At the bottom of the canvas, the terrestrial world is barely indicated by the steps, sewing basket and rose-bush in flame. The flames are rendered so naturalistically that they probably have appeared to mirror the real candle flames burning on the altar during the celebration of the Mass. But above and beyond El Greco has distorted light, colour and form. Indeed,all the form are in a state of flux. the grand rhythm of the wings of Gabriel and the Holy Spirit quicken the drama. Garments of crystalline blue, crimson and yellow-green vibrate against the blue-grey void. Incandescent light is reflected off the figures with such intensity that each seems to be its own source of light
62333 The Annunciation The Annunciation 1596-1600 Oil on canvas Museo del Prado, Madrid Author: GRECO, El Title: The Annunciation (detail) , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
62334 The Annunciation The Annunciation 114 x 67 cm Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Madrid This painting is a remarkably fine reduced replica of one of El Greco's most haunting images, the Annunciation in the Prado, Madrid, that is almost three times as large. The Prado Annunciation formed the centre of the elaborate altarpiece commissioned from the artist in 1596 for the Colegio de Do?a Mar?a de Arag?n. El Greco's habit of making reduced replicas is amply documented. It is common knowledge that El Greco kept smaller, preliminary versions of almost all his works at home to show to his customers, and that he considered them finished, definitive works in themselves. Author: GRECO, El Title: The Annunciation , 1551-1600 , Spanish Form: painting , religious
7049 The Annunciation sdgm The Annunciation sdgm 1569-70 Tempera on panel, 26,5 x 19,5 cm Museo del Prado, Madrid
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GRECO, El
Greek-born Spanish Mannerist Painter, 1541-1614 Greek painter, designer and engraver, active in Italy and Spain. One of the most original and interesting painters of 16th-century Europe, he transformed the Byzantine style of his early paintings into another, wholly Western manner. He was active in his native Crete, in Venice and Rome, and, during the second half of his life, in Toledo. He was renowned in his lifetime for his originality and extravagance and provides one of the most curious examples of the oscillations of taste in the evaluation of a painter, . Related Artists to GRECO, El : | Maufra Maxime Emile Louis | Shalva Kikodze | olof w. nilsson | Canzi agost Elek | Paolo Emilio Besenzi |