Who was El Greco?

“El Greco” was a 16th – early 17th century artist born in the city known today as Heraklion, Crete. Coming from a wealthy and prominent family, El Greco trained to be an icon-maker as a child in Crete. His interest in art did not stop there. As a young man in his 20′s, El Greco pursued his art career in Venice and a few years later in Rome.

In Rome, El Greco began establishing himself as a well known and successful artist. What made him stand out from the rest was his altered style and individualistic approach to painting religious topics. El Greco’s style does appear to have Byzantine origins with perhaps some influence from various renaissance masters prior to his time, although these claims are argued by some. El Greco is especially known for being a huge critic of Michelangelo’s work, down-playing Michelangelo’s abilities as a painter.
He even extended an offer to Pope Pius V to paint over Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel, which was obviously rejected. El Greco’s unconventional artistic beliefs resulted in the acquisition of many enemies in Rome. El Greco migrated to Madrid and soon after Toledo Spain were he resided for the remainder of his life.

It was in Spain where El Greco created most of his well-known pieces, and acquired his famous nickname. His friendship with Castilla, the son of the dean of the Cathedral of Toledo, led to large and important art commissions which secured his reputation as a master. These commissions resulted in a variety of works for various chapels and monasteries throughout Spain. Some of his better known works include but aren’t limited to “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”, “The Virgin of the Immaculate”, “The Resurrection”, etc. Although Toledo Spain was considered home by a mature El Greco, it is undeniably known that he never lost touch with his Greek origins. Until his death, El Greco signed every painting with his real name, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος (Dominikos Theotokopoulos).

Article by Pete Hristakos