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El Greco, also known as Doménikos Theotokópoulos, was born in Crete in 1541 and descended from a prosperous urban family. He was known for being a Greek painter, as well as a sculptor and architect. He trained as a disciple at Titan’s workshop in Venice and later traveled to Rome in 1570. Despite studying the craft of art, he unfortunately often found himself struggling and being overshadowed by more prominent artists in his time.

Struggling to make a name for himself, he later traveled to Italy and Spain, and through these travels, he developed a style along with the likes of Caravaggio and Titian. He learned how to incorporate perspective, vanishing points, and how to capture the gestures of the human figure. El Greco’s ambition and adaptability managed to create a career that was shaped by the Venetian Renaissance.

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It is prominent that El Greco’s change in style was highly influenced by Caravaggio. The most notable feature of his works is the use of Caravaggio’s iconic dark shadows and dramatic lighting. He was able to create visual tension in his pieces, along with a striking narrative in his more religious works. It’s amazing to see how his style evolved; his colours and composition grew bolder, which results in the figures seemingly popping out of the frame.

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Works Cited

“Biography of El Greco.” El Greco Biography | Life, Paintings, Influence on Art, https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/biography.html. Accessed 30 Sep. 2021.

“Greco El (1541 – 1614).” A Biographical Dictionary of Artists, Andromeda, edited by Lawrence Gowing, Windmill Books (Andromeda International), 2nd edition, 1995. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/andbda/greco_el_1541_1614/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 30 Sep. 2021.Morfin, Marcelina.

“10 Paintings and Artworks by El Greco You Should Know.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 25 Apr. 2016, https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/10-artworks-by-el-greco-you-should-know/.