We spent the weekend visiting Madrid after taking the high-speed train up from Barcelona. It was a magical weekend. Madrid really comes alive at night. Very late at night. We were surprised to see so many nightclubs that don’t even open their doors until 3 or 4 in the morning. Alas, we were already snuggled into bed in our hotel but we could hear the partiers out in the street.
The highlight was a visit to the Museo del Prado, a fantastic art museum in the heart of the city. It features permanent exhibits with the work of Raphael and El Greco, along with dozens of others. You could easily spend the entire day inside this museum, surrounded by so much outstanding art.
I learned a lot about El Greco while browsing the galleries.
El Greco is most likely the most popular painter of his period, and still remains very popular even today, more than 500 years following his death. Due to the obscurity in his design, and the actual fact that he was regarded a painter of the spirit, he was probably the most influential painters, which established the groundwork for most to check out, and for most artwork forms that implemented. His function was admired by the associates of the Blue Rider College, and several performers who followed, considerably after his profession ended.
El Greco was born in Crete. The non-naturalistic basis of his function showcased the skill that could follow, in the countless parts created during his profession. He transferred to Venice in 1567, as Crete was regarded a Venetian territory.
Upon moving from Venice, El Greco lived and worked in Rome from 1570 to 1576. He was included with a letter of suggestion from the Croatian miniaturist, which guaranteed him a spot to stay and function while in Rome. There he went about mastering the components of Renaissance Artwork, including perspective, figural structure, and the capability to stage elaborate narratives. By enough time El Greco found its way to Rome, Michelangelo, Raphael and Da Vinci had been lifeless, but their example stayed
Later, El Greco found its way to Rome. Michelangelo, Raphael and Da Vinci had been well-established, and their example stayed paramount and relatively overwhelming for youthful painters.
El Greco was motivated to create his own indicate in Rome defending his personal creative views, tips and design.
He stayed with Alessandro Farnese, who was simply most likely the wealthiest & most influential patron in Rome, during this time period. In 1572, El Greco became a member of the painter’s academy, where he was recognized to have a couple of assistants while functioning right here. Although he didn’t have the commission he was longing for in Rome, he did receive many requests for portraits, and small level devotional paintings and sculptures to end up being created for top quality clientele.
In 1576, El Greco made the move to Spain, where his first bid for royal patronage with Phillip II, failed. It was not until he moved out to Toledo, where he finally became recognized as a great artist, and the potential he had was finally being viewed by peers, and admirers in the art world. El Greco was immortalized in this city, and the piece View from Toledo was quite possibly one of his most famous pieces; in the city he found a group of friends and colleagues, and was beginning to make his mark as an artist; it was in the city of Toledo where he began making a profitable career for himself as an artist.
