El Greco

Life

• Full name is Doménikos Theotokópoulos• Born in Crete, Italy in 1541 • Moved around to study in different

schools• Painted two paintings for King Phillip, but

he was not impressed• Lived with Jerónima de Las Cuevas • Had one son, named Jorge Manuel, and he

became a painter also• Passed away on April 7, 1614

About his Art• A painter, sculptor, and architect• Created church based art• Studied under Titian• Believed color was the most important aspect of

painting• Had different interpretations of traditional religious

themes• Was inspired by Michelangelo and Raphael• Introduced his own artistic views, ideas, and

techniques • The Burial of the Count of Orgaz is regarded as his

masterpiece• From 1597 to 1607 he was very successful in his

art

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz

• Also called The Entombment of the Count of Orgaz

• Currently displayed in Toledo, Spain at Santo Tome Church

• Made with oil paints• The Count of Orgaz

donated a large sum of money to the church

• Painting was made in his honor

Lady in a Fur Wrap• Also called Lady with a

Fur Stole• Displayed in Glasgow,

United Kingdom in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

• Believe the painting is of his partner Jerónima

• The brushstrokes in this piece are much less harsh than his other works

• There are more warm colors in this piece

The Dormition of the Virgin

• Displayed in Ermoupolis, Greece at the Holy Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin

• Italian influenced colors• One of his earliest

surviving works• Has a religious

meaning, as do most of his pieces

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The Purification of the Temple

• Currently Displayed in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

• Painted after a quote from the bible

• Included Titian, Michelangelo, Clovio, and Rapheal- four great painters

• Rich color palate

• Has a religious theme

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View of Toledo• Created from 1596-

1600

• Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

• Oil Painting

• One of the most dramatic landscapes ever

• Shows a spiritual part of the town

• The town inspired him in other paintings also

Sources• The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History– http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grec/hd_grec.htm

• El Greco: Painting, Biography, Quotes– http://www.elgreco.net/

• Web Museum– http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/greco/

• Online Biography– http://www.biography.com/people/el-greco-9319123

• The Collection: National Gallery of Art– http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg29/gg29-main1.

html

• Artble– http://www.artble.com/artists/el_greco