El Greco
Greek-born Spanish Mannerist Painter, 1541-1614
Considered a representative of late Renaissance Spanish art, El Greco was actually born in Greece, on the island of Crete. After studying in Venice under Titian, El Greco settled in Toledo, Spain in 1577. At the time he was wildly popular, his emotionally religious paintings being just the ticket for the hometown of the Spanish Inquisition. After his death his work was largely ignored until the beginning of the 20th century; now he considered one of the inspired geniuses of Western art. His distinctive style features bold shapes and colors, with elongated and slightly distorted figures.
In Toledo El Greco was in constant demand and liked living large: he maintained a private orchestra to accompany his meals.
ID: 62290 The Purification of the Temple 1571-76 Oil on canvas Institute of Arts, Minneapolis The most significant iconographic feature of this version is the introduction in the lower right-hand corner four portraits of artists. They are, from left to right, Titian, Michelangelo, Giulio Clovio and Raphael (although it has also been suggested that this figure is El Greco himself, Giulio Romano or even Correggio). Their presence can be interpreted as a straightforward homage by El Greco to those artists to whom he felt indebted (and some of whose works he was quoting in the picture).
