About the Artist

The actual name of El Greco "the Greek" was Domenikos Theotokopoulos. Today he is known as the main representative of Spanish Mannerism, Trained initially as an icon painter, he emigrated to Venice in 1567, where he studied under Titian and received inspiration from Tintoretto. In 1570 he went to Rome, where he stayed for approximately two years. He then traveled to Madrid for a short time before permanently in Toledo. El Greco was able to combine austere Byzantine style with Italian Renaissance painting, as well as the religious fervor of medieval Spain, in a unique fashion. His paintings achieve their characteristic mystical and spiritual quality through techniques including elongated figures and exaggerated colour schemes. Among the artist's important works are Toledo in the Snow, 1604-1614, Frey Hortensio Felix Paravicino, 1609, and Laocoon, 1610.