El Greco (1541 – 1614) Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos on the island of Crete in 1541, El Greco, (the Greek, a nickname given to him later in life) was one of the most influential artists in what is commonly called the Spanish Renaissance.This movement was born out of the Italian Renaissance and, like its Mediterranean cousin, was defined by the renewed interest in classical art, architecture and style. El Greco moved to Toledo, Spain in the later part of the 1570’s and remained there until his death in 1614 at the age of 72. El Greco himself was a sculptor and architect, but it is for his intimate and provocative paintings that he is remembered. His personal style was unique and unexpected. Combining what we would later come to know as cubist sensibilities with a surrealist flair, he experimented with vivid pigments and sharp lines to create works that are arresting and prophetic of future styles. Works such as The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (1590) and The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586) are just two of the incredibly influential paintings that El Greco produced over his prolific career. His unique style is almost beyond classification and perhaps it is for this reason that few …show more content…
With the bold and unparalleled vision of El Greco, the complexity in content of Velasquez, the humble romanticism of Murillo and the arresting social commentary of Goya, he is the embodiment of the Spanish artistic tradition. Born at the end of the 19th century in Malaga it was not long before Picasso was exploring the world of art. He would later develop into the co-founder of the Cubist movement, which explored the world of the surreal, the real and the hyper real through a mixture of paintings, sculptures, prints, and performances. He spent most of his adult life in France where he died at the age of 91 on April 8th
Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí I Domenech was born May 11, 1904 in the small town agricultural town of Figueres, Spain. The son of a prosperous notary, Dalí spent his boyhood in Figueres and at the family's summer home in the coastal fishing village of Cadaques where his parents built his first studio. As an adult, he made his home with his wife Gala in nearby Port Lligat. Many of his paintings reflect his love of this area of Spain. As an artist, Salvador Dalí was not limited to a particular style or media. The body of his work, from early impressionist paintings through his transitional surrealist works, and into his classical period, reveals a constantly growing and evolving artist. (http://www.daliweb.org/bio.html) Dalí worked in all media, leaving behind a wealth of oils, watercolors, drawings, graphics, and sculptures, jewels and objects of all descriptions.
The astonishingly brilliant artist Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes has always been revered and adored for his incredible paintings of the Spanish Royal family, but not many know that he was also a masterful engraver. In the exhibit titled Renaissance to Goya: Prints and Drawings from Spain, many of the pieces displayed were based on social commentary of the period within the country. This disdain is particularly palpable in the etching by Goya titled The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. The psychological and emotional state of Goya at the time is masterfully rendered and the presentation of the exhibit is absolutely remarkable due to its brilliant color scheme and expert presentation of the works.
Ultimately, it can be seen that all artists are influenced or incorporate issues and events of their time in their works, whether this is from the desire to portray Greek perfection to that of religious beliefs and the creation of the camera. To become renowned like Polykleitos, Michelangelo and Pablo Picasso, this statement must be followed.
Salvador Dali (1904-1989), was a Spanish painter, writer, and member of the surrealist movement. He was born in Figueras, Cataloni...
El Greco painted his “Assumption of the Virgin” in 1577 for the convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, Spain. Born in Greece as Domenikos Theotocopoulos, (his nickname translates from Spanish into “The Greek”), El Greco was the top artist of the Spanish School, and was commissioned to paint “Assumption” to adorn the convent’s altar. The painting is a daunting size—over six feet wide and twice as tall—surrounded by a wooden frame tinted with a non-uniform metallic gold paint. The oil on canvas creates some, although not obvious texture, and brush strokes are visible only slightly in the garments of the human subjects. The Virgin Mary is the main figure in the painting, situated horizontally-centered in the upper-half of the canvas. She is wearing a blue flowing gown which begins below her bosom and reaches down to her feet, and a deep red fabric covers her chest and upper limbs. Her arms are outstretched and she is looking up into the heavens, flanked by female angels, adults and infants, who are praying and looking on. Below the clouds in the bottom-half of the canvas is a group of mortal men with mixed emotions and split into two groups leaving a part in the mass directly below Mary. All of the figures wear loose outfits similar to Mary’s, and many of the colors, bright but not full, are repeated throughout. One subtle detail particularly worth noting is a small piece of white paper in the bottom right-hand corner of the canvas. El Greco added the image to the paintings that he believed were his true masterpieces. Regardless of any analysis, it is certain that El Greco was extremely proud of “Assumption,” and believed it to be one of his best.
In conclusion, although Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II and Augustus of Primaporta, do appear very different, come from entirely different geographic regions and were separated by thousands of years, they do have many things in common. When we consider subject, style, and function; perhaps other works of art have more in common than they appear to have.
- (1494-1557), Italian painter, whose style is marked by elongated forms, heightened emotion, and tension between figures and space
El Greco was very proud of his Greek culture and heritage. El Greco always signed his works in his full name and with Greek characters. His real name was Domenikos Theotokopoulos and when he signed his works this was the name he used. All of El Greco’s works were in the “Venetian Renaissance Style” of painting.
His many details in his paintings made him unique to other painters back then. Many of his paintings included many distinguishable human emotions and more physical characteristics than most. These two changes that he did on his paintings were consider revolutionary and made him a bridge between the"Dark Ages" and the Renaissance. His works flourished in the Renaissance period because of his use of chiaroscuro and his way of manipulation of perspectives of the things shown in his works. His works compare to his contemporaries are very different too. His works depicted the human face in a more detailed way, he created figures in three-dimensional space, and human emotions ( gestures and expressions). His paintings were so detailed that you can guess what the person is doing which it is an amazing and difficult to do. His unique way of painting and the way he handled the space and the human body in his paintings can be seen in his work called Ognissanti Madonna. During the Byzantine art period, figures were elongated and no details went to their faces or bodies but Giotto changed this by giving us paintings that came out at us and show realism. Examples of these can be seen in "The Entombment of Mary" and many other artworks that have a 3D effect on
many fellow artists never attempted this style. El Greco's art style shows the strong, deep Catholic faith of Spain, which can be see...
Mr. Greco, I understand that you painted this portrait in 1577. It was your first major commission when you arrived in his adopted country of Spain after training in Italy. It was commissioned for the central panel of the high altar of the church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo. I have done a little research on your work and it seems like you like doing religious paintings, paintings that might the viewer a story. You seemed to be very interested in Renaissance Art, and your style of painting also resembles Renaissance art. You decided to do this painting for the Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo.
Doménikos Theotokópoulos is a very famous Greek painter from the late 1500’s. He is also known as El Greco, which is spanish for the greek. El Greco was born in the year 1541. His father Georgios was a tax collector and his older brother Manoússos was a merchant. There is no found information on his mother.
...ed in the discovery and eventual colonization of North and South America. Painters, sculptors, and architects exhibited a similar sense of adventure and the desire for greater knowledge and new solutions; Leonardo da Vinci, like Christopher Columbus, discovered whole new worlds. With a new emphasis on the science, people like Philippo Brunelleschi were accomplishing great feats of artistic and architectural design. The new Renaissance “style” that emerged during this period called upon the classical roots of ancient Greece and Rome but new scientific understanding and a stronger emphasis on the individual also influenced the works created during this period.Bibliography Rice Jr., Eugene F.; Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. W. W. Norton & Company. New York, NY, 1993. Helton, Tinsley. World Book Encyclopedia, v16. “Renaissance”, pp. 222-224. World Book–Childcraft International Inc. Chicago, IL, 1979. Vasari, Gorgio. Lives of the Artists. Penguin Books Ltd. London, England, 1987
The most famous artist in the 20th century, Pablo Picasso, was known for his many contributions to the art movements. At an early age, Picasso was introduced to art by his father. It was said that he could sketch before he could even speak. His parents had a heavy influence on his learning of art. His father was an art teacher, and he would sometimes finish his art works for his father. By the age of 13, his talents quickly overshadowed his father.
While in Venice, he studied under the well-known painter Titian. From Titian, he learned the fundamentals of Renaissance art. Around 1576 he decided to move to Toledo, Spain where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. Here is where he painted View of Toledo, which is considered the first landscape in Spanish art. I think this ominous representation of the city of Toledo displays the power of nature. It is as the sky could open up at any moment and destroy the ghost like city below. It is suggested that El Greco might have painted this landscape as part of a propaganda campaign to encourage Philip II to reinstate the court in Toledo after he abandoned it in 1561 (Piker). Mannerism style stepped away from the traditional aspects of Renaissance art. “Mannerist art represents tension and angst, opposed to the peacefulness of Renaissance art” (Cowie). Some also say this painting is meant to show an apocalyptic vision. “This is a landscape of heavenly apocalyptic power: a conversation between heaven and earth next to the cathedral spire. The scene of the town takes place at the moment before a storm. The heavens are literally at war with the setting sun against the thunderstorm that is about to happen” (El Greco).