The Immaculate Conception with St John the Evangelist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Immaculate Conception with St John the Evangelist |
|
|---|---|
| English: The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception and St John the Evangelist, Spanish: La Inmaculada Concepción vista por San Juan Evangelista |
|
.jpg) |
|
| Artist | El Greco |
| Year | c. 1585 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 237 cm × 118 cm (93 in × 46 in) |
| Location | Museum of Santa Cruz, Toledo, Spain |
The Immaculate Conception with St John the Evangelist is a c. 1585 oil on canvas painting of the Immaculate Conception by El Greco.
Background
El Greco immersed himself in the Italian Renaissance, allowing him to experiment with the opposing colore and disegno techniques for size (during his stay in Venice and Rome). El Greco relocated to Toledo in 1577. This move signified the beginning of his vital role in the Spanish Renaissance movement. In Italy he left behind a circle of like-minded individuals, mostly scholars and fellow artists, who shared the belief or understanding that a virtuosovirtuoso, or a true artist, was one that surpassed basic craftsmanship into the realm of artistic imagination. This mutual ideology and treatment of artists in Italy was not one echoed in Toledo, Spain. El Greco hoped to become a reputed and well-represented artist in Spain if he could be recognized by King Phillip II. Such patronage would ensure a secure transition into the Spanish Empire, as well as prospective migration to a metropolis like Madrid. However, following a string of legal disputes over what El Greco deemed inadequate pay for his work, along with his decision to prioritize showcasing his own stylistic choices over a straightforward and naturalistic depiction of religious content, the Cretan master achieved just the opposite.
Consequently, El Greco remained in Toledo for the rest of his life, where he was well-received by his contemporaries such as the Spanish preacher and poet Hortensio Félix Paravicino, who remarked that, "Crete gave him life and the painter's craft, Toledo a better homeland, where through death he began to achieve eternal life." Other than the appreciation shown towards El Greco by his contemporaries, he also found success in his artistic career. Between 1581 and 1585, the demand for devotional works escalated rapidly. His customers could choose from a few samples, often smaller versions of his works, which he then altered to their preferences.
El Greco later became the master of a workshop which dealt with the creation of architectural and framing devices for cathedrals. His paintings were likely to be commissioned for the same veneration-oriented establishments. El Greco and his workshop had a profitable decade between 1597 and 1607 and during that time yielded several commissions and outputs. During this time, significant projects elevated El Greco's career and reputation, which met his ambitions, despite staying in Toledo.
See also
In Spanish: Inmaculada Concepción con san Juan Evangelista (El Greco) para niños
- List of works by El Greco
