This 15th Century Artist Challenged Michelangelo & Inspired Picasso

Can you imagine an artist who challenged Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel better than him?

Shockingly yes, there was one.

But when this artist died, he lost his artistic identity in the annals of time.

In the modern era, his compositions enamored painters like Picasso and Paul Cézanne. The more art historians and researchers delved into his eccentric and contemporary painting style, the more he became famous.

I'm talking about the forgotten artist of the high renaissance period - Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos, widely known as El Greco.

The modern world reclaimed him as its own and titled him the 'Prophet of Modernism'.

When El Greco had disagreements with the Church in Rome and could not get great commissions like the Sistine Chapel, he moved from Rome to Spain and painted in Toledo until he died in 1613.

Let's look into 5 of El Greco's masterpieces and how he inspired iconic painters like Picasso.

1. The Disrobing of Christ

Before we dive into the nitty-gritties of this painting, you might notice the elongated and overstretched figures. Hang on. The next few paintings might look even more bizarre.

El Greco paints the tragic moment right before Jesus's crucifixion. The ambiance looks chaotic, but Jesus is calm and teary-eyed. Jesus's red color shiny robe powerfully holds the viewer to stare at the painting for a long time.

Below Jesus's feet is a man dressed in a yellow jacket who drills a hole in the wood.

The Three Marys dressed in vibrant colors, contemplate the scene with distress.

2. The Vision of Saint John

Remember the elongated figures I discussed in the last painting? This composition holds to this reputation.

When art historians noted the obscure faces, dark palette of colors and inaccurate anatomical representations in El Greco's paintings, few of them tagged El Greco as a madman or an artist with poor eyesight.

But many others contradict this belief and felt El Greco deliberately chose this eccentric style.

The Vision of Saint John is no exception. We see the tortured and writhing figures, the terrible sky and those overstretched arms.

Picasso's Blue Period and Rose Period show the exact same elongated figures that El Greco made.

When Picasso saw this painting in Paris, he got inspired and two years later, he painted his magnum opus - Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.

3. Baptism of Christ

This biblical episode is divided into two horizontal planes - earthly and celestial.

Christ is on the earthly plane. He wears a loincloth with his hands folded and framed by a red cloak, a ceremonial color of sacrifice. On the right, Saint John the Baptist pours water over Jesus from the couch. On the celestial plane, the Heavenly Father and his angelic hierarchy make the event sacred.

In this composition, El Greco uses his everyday language, emphasizing the vertical format and portraying the figures in ghostly light that enhances the unreality of the figures.

4. Laocoon

Now we know why El Greco is titled 'the father of modernism'.

Take a look at Laocoön. A mythological subject painted in a modern contemporary style.

Here's the story - Laocoön was a priest in Troy. He warned his countrymen not to accept the wooden horse left outside Troy by the Greeks. When they did not pay heed, Laocoön had to face the wrath of the gods.

El Greco shows the serpents sent by angry gods, engaging Laocoön and one of his sons in a mortal struggle, while the second son lies already dead at his father's side.

5. Christ Cleansing the Temple

As the title suggests, this painting shows angry Jesus whipping the corrupted men and semi-naked women from the temple.

An uncommon theme, this became quite popular and used by the Catholic Church as a propagandistic tool against the Reformation.

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Which is your favorite painting by El Greco? Drop them in the comments.

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References:

1. El Greco: The Great Artist Forgotten For Three Centuries | Raiders Of The Lost Art | Perspective

2. El Greco in New York review: as good as it gets outside Spain

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