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This bust-length portrait entered the royal collections as a donation by the widow of the Duke of Arco, gentlemanin- waiting, Equerry and Master of the Horse to Philip V. In his recreational estate at El Pardo, De Arco possessed a group of six portraits of gentlemen by El Greco whose provenance is now unknown.This group would come to constitute the principal holdings of portraits by the artist now
A long bust of a young manwith a gaunt face bearing a moustache and goatee, large dark, almond-shaped eyes and a long, thin nose. His short, dark hair brings out his pale complexion. He is dressed in black, with a short ruff collar, and the lapels and collar of his outer garment suggest it is a sort of cassock, although the lack of definition in the sleeves prevents any greater specificity. The ba
A portrait of an anonymous nobleman, possibly from Toledo, with a narrow white ruff. The background is neutral. This work is considered one of the artist´s finest portraits. With the combination of thin and thick brushstrokes, he manages to bring the sitter extraordinarily close to us. This painting is listed in the inventories of Madrid´s Alcázar Palace from 1666, 1686 and 1700. It is sign
This work depicts the moment when the Holy Ghost, in the form of flames, rests on the Virgin and the Apostles on Pentecost day in Jerusalem, as is told in the book of Acts (2: 1-5). The bald, bearded Apostle who looks out at the viewer from the right of the canvas has been identified as a self-portrait, or as a portrait of the artist´s friend, Antonio de Covarrubias. Along with other paintings in
A night view of Calvary with a markedly Eucharistic character. Mary Magdalene, at Christ´s feet, and three angels collecting the blood of the slain Savior, appear framed by the figures of the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist. Light and color are used to bring dramatic intensity to the chosen subject, generating a night scene with highly contrasted colors. Some figures, such as that of Mary Mag
At the top, a nude Christ bears a white banner in his left hand, symbolizing triumph over death. His purple robe signifies sacrifice and martyrdom, while his rhomboidal halo echoes the Byzantine tradition. The soldiers that guard the sepulcher appear surprised and confused by the event, except for one who is asleep. The use of scorcio gives these figures a high degree of dynamism. The borders of t
A passage from the New Testament (Luke I, 26-38) that tells of the annunciation of the Virgin´s motherhood by the Archangel Gabriel and the incarnation of Christ in Mary by the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove. The burning bush, which appeared to A passage from the New Testament (Luke I, 26-38) that tells of the annunciation of the Virgin´s motherhood by the Archangel Gabriel and the incarnation o
Both the large ruff the sitter is wearing and the technique used date this portrait to the beginning of the seventeenth century. The loose brushwork (in the form of subtle highlights, dabbing and small but decisive touches of colour) endow the face with great vivacity. Tha face also has great psychological depth. For some time, the sitter was thought to be the poet, Baltasar Eliseo de Medinilla, a
This depiction of Christ, lifeless on the cross and flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John, is considered one of the finest of many images of Calvary painted by this artist from Toledo. It is also a significant example of his painting, which owes much to the compositions and figurative models of his fundamental teacher in Toledo: El Greco. Finally, it reflects the Carravaggesque chiaroscuros sh
According to ancient traditions collected by Jacobus de Voragine in his Legenda Aurea (1264), Saint Sebastian was a third-century Roman soldier who served in the Praetorian Guard, one of the most prestigious units of the imperial army, at the time when the emperor Diocletian was actively persecuting Christians. Sebastian’s beliefs urged him to encourage others to die rather than renounce their fai
This night scene is set in a narrow, irregular space -a sort of grotto with a gabled opening in the back, consisting of two semi-circular arches. Mary holds her newborn Son, naked on her lap, while Saint Joseph and three shepherds surround them, expressing their fervent devotion to the child. A kneeling ox also contemplates the baby. The compositional ellipse is closed at the top by a group of ang
A portrait of Jerónimo de Cevallos, dressed in black with a white ruff, on a dark background. Born in Escalona in 1562, he died in 1641. Cevallos was a friend and protector of the painter, as well as a famous jurist and politician in Toledo. A member of the so-called Academy of the Count of Mora, a discussion group attended by important members of Toledo´s intellectual and literary circles,
One of the most unique and distinctive areas within Velázquez`s oeuvre is that of his portraits of buffoons, dwarves and individuals collectively known as hombres de placer (men of pleasure). There were indispensable figures in the social structure of Spanish royal palaces and functioned as a crucial counterpoint in the markedly hierarchical and protocol-based system that governed court lif
These two works (E00483, E00937), which are exceptional examples of Spanish Renaissance art show El Greco´s knowledge of classical sculpture. Pandora was a beautiful woman made from clay by Hephaestus at Zeus´s request. Zeus wanted to punish Prometheus for revealing the secret of fire to man. Pandora was endowed with many talents, and she was also given a box containing all the evils that could af
These two works (E00937, E00483), which are exceptional examples of Spanish Renaissance art show El Greco´s knowledge of classical sculpture. Pandora was a beautiful woman made from clay by Hephaestus at Zeus´s request. Zeus wanted to punish Prometheus for revealing the secret of fire to man. Pandora was endowed with many talents, and she was also given a box containing all the evils that could af
