Meeting El Greco

Hello people!

My name is Theodore, I am 26 years old, and I live in Athens, Greece. I just joined today the steemit community and this is actually my first post so it's quite meaningful to me. I was looking for something interesting and orginal to promote so I came up with the idea to introduce myself alongside my favourite painter... El Greco :)

El Greco
(The Greek )

Life

Dominikos Theotokopoulos, or known as El Greco ( The Greek) was born in Crete in 1541 , which at the time was under Venetian rule, unlike most other parts of Greece that were under the Ottoman authority). Thus Young El Greco grew up in a very interesting cultural environment, where the eastern Byzantine tradition met the Latin. After studying the post-Byzantine icon art tradition, at the age of 26 he moved to Venice. El Greco’s experiences from Crete and his tradition let him much room for experimentation and his unique style, that of fusion between Latin and Byzantine art started evolving.

Christ blessing (The Saviour of the World), 1600

In 1570 El Greco moved to Rome. There he worked under various benefactors and he created his own workshop. His reputation started spreading and his name was becoming known. At that time young artists in Rome had to compete with the legacy of other great artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael so it was harder for someone to get recognition. However the unique and authentic style of El Greco made a clear impression. He was actually described as a ‘’ rare talent in painting’’.

View from Mount Sinai, 1570

In 1577 El Greco moved to Spain and settled in Toledo. Already known in Rome for his supreme works and style he established new relations and after a while got his first major commission and signed a contract to paint the altar of the church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo. There we still meet today what is regarded by some some the masterpieces of El Greco.

El Espolio, 1577

The Trinity, 1577

His works in Toledo established him as a great painter in the city and earned him a very good reputation. Soon after completion of his works in Santo Domingo el Antiguo his reputation finally reached king Philip’s ear and he was invited to the king’s court, something which was also El Greco’s ambition. While there he managed to receive two commissions from the king, Allegory of the Holy League and The Martyrdorm of St.Maurice. However the king was not very impressed by these works and unluckily he did not receive any other commissions from him. Some reasons provided for the king’s attitude possibly were El Greco’s excessive style and the king’s dislike of the inclusion of living persons in religious paintings ( One of El Greco’s most famous elements was the inclusion of himself in many of his portraits, something which painters are very fond of I guess 😊 )

Martyrdorm of St Maurice, 1580

After completing his commissions received from King Philip El Greco moved again in Toledo. This later period of his life is also characterized as one of his most interesting and productive. He received various commissions and completed many other great works of art including paintings and statues. One of the most renowned is The burial of Count of Orgaz.

The burial of Count of Orgaz, 1586

El Greco Continued to live in Toledo for the rest of his life until 1614 when he died in the 7th day of April after a serious illness. His only son , Jorge Manuel, continued his legacy and followed his footsteps continuing his compositions in his workshop that he inherited from his father.

Portrait of Jorge Manuel, 1603

Legacy

After El Greco’s death in 1614 his works and legacy fell into obscurity. He was criticized negatively by his immediate successors and his style did not continue. It was only after 2 centuries that his works reemerged and were examined again in new light. His art was reaffirmed by the critics, once again praising his style and naming him as an early influence on the Romantic style in painting. From then on El Greco influenced many new generations of other artists such as Eugene Delacroix, Edouard Manet and Pablo Picasso. El Greco’s rich legacy still shines today and has a major influence in the fields of art, painting and literature. His unique style and themes, drawing from religion to simple sceneries, has characterized him as one of the most important figures in the age of Renaissance and beyond.

A Boy Blowing on an Ember to Light a Candle (Soplón), 1570-72

Toledo by El Greco

El Greco in the Burial of the Count of Orgaz

If you want to know more about El Greco I’ll also provide a couple of links.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Greco
http://www.el-greco-foundation.org/

I hope you enjoyed my little presentation on El Greco and I'd be really happy to know your impression of his works. I'd also be very interested to hear about your favourite artists, I prefer painters but no need to be one :)