El Greco
Domenico Theotocopoulos was one of the most highly regarded Spanish artists of his time. Born in Fodele, a minor community located on the isle of Crete, in about 1542. Theotocopoulos, also known as "El Greco" (meaning The Greek), was to become a "Spanish" mannerist, whose work, with that of Francisco de Goya and Diego Velasquez, represents the peak of Spanish art. He grew up in the tranquil surroundings of Crete and the near by islands of the Mediterranean. In this environment his character and his artistic ideas must have formed their foundation. Perhaps the small Byzantine churches interested him to study religious themes and idols. He was thoroughly trained at the monastery of St. Catherine in Candia, Crete. None of his early works from his first year survived, but they were probably painted in the late Byzantine style that was popular in Crete at the time. Theotocopoulos was also trained in the traditional Byzantine style of icon painting and was influenced by the Cretan schools. This is where his expressive style first formed. He was a well-educated man, whose taste for classical and contemporary literature seems to have developed in his youth. At the age of twenty-five, Theotocopoulos had already
There are some landscapes and a few portraits, but the vast majority are of religious themes: "Assumption", "Holy Trinity", "St. On April 7, 1614 El Greco died in Toledo. Generally, his work might be summed up as a mannerist but his later paintings become more and more philosophical; in this he is seen as an ancestor of modern painting. He rapidly began hi work on his first Spanish commission on a painting for the Church of Santo Domingo el Antigua. King Philip ll did not understand the significance behind his art. Without exaggerating one can estimate the number of El Greco's works at about 500. "The Burial of Count Orgaz" portrays El Greco's personal style of elongating his figures. In Toledo he found Dona Jeronmia de la Cuevas, though he never married her, they had a son together, Jorge - Manuel. In 1586, El Greco painted, "The Burial of Count Orgaz". The house where he lived is now a museum of his works. He became a horror vacui that became more pronounced in later years. The painting also shows, with great detail and skill, the count's soul rising to the heavens that profoundly occupied with angels and saints. It is very difficult to exactly outline the influence of the Cretan School in his work. In Rome, he met famous artists like Michelangelo and Raphael.
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Acceptance Essays
