Art History-El Greco - 4248 Words

Analyse why El Greco’s work had such an impact on Spanish artists at the turn of the twentieth century. At the heart of painting in Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was a search for self-identity in a time of crisis and change. It was a time of civil disturbances and the loss of the country’s last colonies. In Barcelona social structures were severely taxed by the rapid industrialization of the region and its subsequent explosive population growth. Matters culminated in the unstable atmosphere generated by waves of political terrorism in the Catalan Capital in the 1890s. Escalating anarchist activity and recurrent cycles of labor unrest and harsh official retribution generated a destabilizing uncertainty in the†¦show more content†¦Cossio published an appraisal of the artist in a popular encyclopedia in 1908 which offered not only new information on the artist, but also a new interpretation, which turned the painter’s work into the quintessential expression of the Spanish spirit. He began to ask: What was the cause of El Greco’s original and eccentric style? As he studied the question, Cossio found the clue to an answer by noting the almost miraculous change in El Greco’s style that occurred as soon as he arrived in Spain. In his Italian period, El Greco had been a good if rather unexceptional painter, but after his arrival in Spain, he became a great painter. The answer to the question, therefore, obviously lay in Spain and nowhere else. He wrote: â€Å"Castile, an austere and harsh place, was for El Greco benign because it made him free. Isolated in Castile, he forgets rules and abandons his teachers, he gathers his forces unto himself and becomes intimate with the spirit and nature of the region. He immerses himself deeply in them yet also allows them to penetrate his soul. Finally, he takes possession of the character of the land and of the SpanishShow MoreRelatedThe Pieta Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesEl Greco (â€Å"The Greek†), also known as Domenicos Theotocopulos, was a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. El Greco was born in Crete in 1541, which was then a part of the Republic of Venice, and the center of Post-Byzantine art. He had trained and become a master within that tradition and an icon painter. Among his great artworks, I would like to draw attention to â€Å"Pietà   (The Lamentation of Christ)†, an oil painting. El Greco had painted this masterpiece about c.1565-70 in Read MoreEl Greco : The Greatest Spanish Painter Of The Era2129 Words   |  9 Pagesneighbouring countries. A Greek artists by the name of El Greco (Greek name: Domenikos Theotokopoulos) has been known to be titled as â€Å"the greatest Spanish painter of the era†, although he was not from Spanish heritage. He was born in Crete, Greece in 1567 and spent approximately half of his life traveling and apprenticing in Italy. El Greco had traveled to Rome, where he was influenced by the Florentine and Roman Mannerism techniques. As El Greco traveled through Italy he worked alongside the famousRead MoreUnderstanding the Artwork of Domenikos Theotokopoulos1945 Words   |  8 Pagescontext. Theotokopoulus received the nickname El Greco, which means the Greek, during his lifetime, and this nickname reveals a significant detail about his identity as a man, as well as his identity as an artist. This was because his nationality played an important role in his artwork, so that his natio nality could almost be described as synonymous with his work during that time. The Mediterranean world of the sixteenth century- the world of El Greco- was a world in which three civilisations coexistedRead More El Greco Essay1802 Words   |  8 PagesEl Greco The Agony In the Garden, a mannerist style of art by EL Greco, proclaims a sense of spiritual power of religious faith which accomplishes El Greco’s aim to move his audience. El Greco was born on the island of Crete and lived from 1541 to 1614. He represented the most characteristic figure of Spanish Mannerism. El Greco was influenced by and became acquainted with the art of Titian and Jacopo Bassano in Venice where he studied in 1566. In addition to visiting Italy, El GrecoRead MoreA Visit to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesA group of us Arts and Music students used the day on Wednesday to go into the city to visit the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. It was a cold, breezy day so we were all bundled up in jackets and hats. As we got off the E train and walked toward the museum, its appearance was not what I expected it to be. The museum was an elegant, beautiful building made of what looked to be marble; not the big, brick monstrosity I had expected. Once we walked into the museum, it was even more elegant on the insideRead MoreCause and Effect Essay1031 Words   |  5 PagesThis term is used to describe the emotional and ornate art and architecture of the 1600s. [pic] a. Romanesque [pic] b. Gothic [pic] c. Classical [pic] d. Baroque status: correct (1.0) correct: d your answer: d feedback: Correct. [pic] 2 The colonnaded piazza added to St. Peters is the achievement of this architect. [pic] a. Borromini [pic] b. Michelangelo [pic] c. Bramante [pic] d. Bernini status: correct (1.0) correct: d your answer: d feedback:Read MoreRenaissance And Realism Of Arts Essay2282 Words   |  10 PagesFUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS, METHODS, MODES IN THE HUMANITIES Two arts periods: Renaissance and Realism of Arts Introduction Jacob Burckhardt was an Italian historian who had developed the notion of the Renaissance, which meant ‘Rebirth’. It united the Greco-Roman civilization during the ancient times marking the beginning of a completely new era between 1350C.E. and 1550C.E. The Renaissance resulted in the birth of modern society concerned with the revival of antiquity and exaggerated secularismRead More Romanticism in European Art and Culture Essay2490 Words   |  10 PagesOf all the movements in European art, Romanticism has by far the most difficult origins to pinpoint due to the broadness of its beginnings, artistic expressions, and time frame. Inspired by â€Å"nature, an awareness of the past, a religious spirit, and an artistic ideal† (Barron’s 6), Romanticism is one of the most significant influences on European culture. By looking at modern paintings, we can see the influence Romanticism has had throughout the generations. With Romanticism, artists have been ableRead MoreThe Art Of Reformation By Martin Luther985 Words   |  4 PagesAnalytical Paper: The Art of Reformation The year 1517 is claimed by Christianity to be the original spark of a reformation that changed the face of the most prevalent religion in the western world, beginning in Germany and soon enveloping the known world in an upheaval of beliefs and values. However, due to the fact that Protestant faiths became their own religious, social and political powers, the correct term for this movement would not be ‘reformation’ but in fact ‘revolution’. The so-calledRead MoreInfluence Of The Italian Renaissance On Art1835 Words   |  8 Pagescould be debated, that the impact the Italian Renaissance had on art is possibly the largest throughout European history. Italian Renaissance painting can be divided into four periods: the Proto-Renaissance (1300–1400), the Early Renaissance (1400–1475), the High Renaissance (1475–1525), and Mannerism (1525–1600.The same themes that influenced philosophy and literature, as well as architecture and theology, can also being found in art. In painting, Giotto’s Trecento that began in late 13th century