From Publishers Weekly
This catalogue, published to accompany a large-scale exhibition of El Greco's work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery in London, presents a hearty portfolio of world-famous images alongside a comprehensive treatment of the artist's intellectual and religious foundations. Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos in Crete in 1541, El Greco moved to Venice in 1567, where he rapidly matured into one of the most daring artists of his time, known for his audacious color palette and ecstatic, elongated figures who often resemble rippling reflections in dark, cosmic waters. With his swooning, mystical compositions, El Greco remains a primary figure both in Renaissance painting and in the development of modern art, a favorite of such masters as Picasso and Cezanne. Treating the early stages of El Greco's work, as well as his lesser-known experiments in sculpture, this authoritative, comprehensive catalogue adds yet another chapter to the artist's permanent record as a looming figure in the history of western art.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
El Greco (1541-1614), born Domenikos Theotokopoulos, was one of the most fascinating and distinctive artists of the sixteenth century. His works are immediately recognizable for their brilliant colors, elongated figures, and spiritual intensity. Initially trained in Crete, in around 1567 El Greco moved to Italy where he purportedly studied with Titian. A decade later he is documented in Toledo (south of Madrid), and he spent the rest of his long life in Spain. His paintings and writings offer a thoughtful, frequently inspired response to the varied environments in which he worked-and they reveal that he was deeply engaged with the religious and artistic thinking of his times. This lavishly illustrated book-the first comprehensive English-language publication on El Greco in many years-addresses the full range of the artist's work in painting and sculpture, from his Byzantine icons to his late altarpieces. It considers his personality from both a religious and intellectual point of view, and presents the artist's religious, mythological, genre, landscape, and portrait works, providing the historical context in which they were made.
