Spanish School. Born in Crete, and studied under Titian in Venice, but settled in 1577 in Toledo. ” The individuality and strangeness of his work has always more or less disconcerted his patrons.” (National Gallery Catalogue.) Most of his works are still in churches or in private collections.
LONDON, NATIONAL GALLERY
ST. JEROME (?) Half length, slightly to left, sitting at a table with an open book before him, in Cardinal’s dress, but bareheaded. The face is, as is usual in Greco’s work, abnormally narrow. The hands rest on the book.
MADRID
THE CRUCIFIXION The proportions of the canvas indicate the master’s peculiarity of elongating his figures. Here St. Mary and St. John, standing on either side of the lofty cross, reach up almost to the Saviour’s knees. Two angels are stooping at the foot of the cross catching the drops of blood with handkerchiefs. Two smaller angels are flying under the arms of the cross. The background is of dark clouds.
Probably painted for the Church of the Inquisition at Toledo.