From Obscurity to Modernity and From Toledo to Oxford: The Life and Works of El Greco
El Greco, or Dominikos Theotokopolous, led a truly remarkable life. From the debacles at the beginning of his career, which saw him cast out from the patronage of King Philip II, to becoming one of the most influential names associated with Spanish painting, his journey to fame was as unique as the man himself. A figure who revolutionised the world of art through his uncompromising and distinctive style of painting, it’s hard to imagine a better artist to represent the idea of a ‘New Beginning’.
El Greco’s early work as a painter was characterised by adversity. Beginning in Crete, where he trained as an icon painter, he moved to Venice in 1567 and to Rome late in 1570. During his time in Italy, El Greco’s visual style was heavily influenced by Venetian artists such as Titian and Tintoretto. Despite drawing inspiration from Venetian staples, El Greco found himself somewhat ostracised from the Roman art zeitgeist, due to his public criticism of Michelangelo’s abilities. Consistently outspoken and increasingly flippant, El Greco’s reputation faltered in Italy. Rome offered up no further altarpiece commissions. El Greco’s relationship with Spanish Art began in 1577 after moving to Madrid and then Toledo. This new beginning was one that solidified El Greco as a prominent figure within modern discussions of Spanish Art. El Greco initially commissioned an altarpiece for the Church of Santo Domingo El Antiguo, and The Disrobing of Christ (1577-1579) for the vestiary of Toledo Cathedral. A notably stubborn man, however, controversies surrounding the pricing of these paintings damaged his relationship with audiences in Toledo, and as a consequence, future commissions were contracted via private requests. Further difficulties marred his early years in Spain, such as Philip II’s rejection of his interpretation of the Martyrdom of St Maurice (1580) for El Escorial, after which El Greco received no further royal commissions.
However, after a few years in the city, El Greco settled into Toledo comfortably, developing a close circle of patrons and allies. Immortalising the surrounding landscape in his View Of Toledo (1596-1600), El Greco’s career in the town grew to be relatively fruitful. Receiving numerous commissions for a variety of pieces, notably The Burial of Count Orgaz (1586) and later, several paintings of Saints, El Greco’s workshop became reasonably well established. Producing followers such as Luis Tristán (1585-1624), El Greco carved out an incredibly influential yet unorthodox niche within Spanish Art. After his death in 1614, El Greco’s reputation lived on in Spanish circles, yet he was largely forgotten by the wider art world.
In retrospect, however, El Greco has come to be recognised as a true master of Spanish Art, with artists such as Picasso and Édouard Manet championing his influence. A boom in collecting Spanish Art following the Napoleonic Wars revived interest in the works of the artist, and, in the current day, his art is recognised as an innovative rejection of the naturalism of the Spanish Golden Age. His use of long and expressive limbs channeled a Mannerism-esque flair that appealed to the sensibilities of many modern artists. Remaining divisive to this day, El Greco is truly an artist who, through attitude and technique, remains subversive. Textured backgrounds, harsh colours and nigh on ghoulish silhouettes render Dominikos Theotokopoulous either loved or hated – as uncompromising in legacy as he was in life.
So, what of Oxford?
Yes, you can actually see one of El Greco’s later paintings in the New College chapel. One of the four Saint Paintings found in the UK, ‘Saint James the Greater’ (1610), hangs in one of our most central colleges. El Greco’s ‘Saint James the Greater’ was part of a series of saint paintings from the later period of El Greco’s life, produced for the parish church in Almadrones. The series focuses on variations of sets of paintings depicting the apostles in Toledo Cathedral. Other instalments in the set include El Greco’s ‘Saint Paul’ (1610), which was subject to theories from thinkers such as Gregorio Marañón, who claimed that these paintings used mental patients from the Hospital Del Nuncio as models. From initial rejection to fading away into obscurity, to a contemporary revival which has resulted in one of his works hanging in an Oxford college, El Greco’s journey has been truly astonishing.
