Domenicos Theotokopoulos better known as El Greco (1541 - 1614) is an innovator and a prominent representative of the Spanish Renaissance. El Greco is, of course, a pseudonym, his real name is Domenicos Theotokopoulos, and as you might guess, he was from Greece. Before moving to Spain, he lived in Italy for 10 years, where he studied the work of Italian masters.
El Greco. Portrait of an Old Man. Self-portrait.
But he did not blindly copy Raphael, but brought a lot of new things to painting. He considered color to be the basis of his paintings and used the richest palette of colors, although at that time it was not easy, since some colors were obtained from rather rare and exotic ingredients. He painted with broad brushstrokes, quite in the spirit of the impressionists who appeared much later, and the figures of people depicted in his paintings were distinguished by elongated, as if stretched proportions. Later, something similar, only in an even more pronounced manner, appeared in the works of Modigliani.
El Greco. The Burial of the Count of Orgaz
His work cannot be classified as belonging to any of the existing schools of painting, it was so unique.
Франсиско де Сурбаран. Апостол Лука-живописец перед распятием. Предполагаемый автопортрет
2. Francisco de Zurbarán (1598 - 1664) was an outstanding Spanish artist, famous for his images of Catholic saints and martyrs. He managed to fully convey the fierce Spanish religiosity and readiness for self-sacrifice in the name of Christian ideals. In addition, he painted still lifes superbly and was a true master of chiaroscuro. His style at the beginning of his creative career attracted many customers, and the artist even managed to get the most attractive position at that time - court painter to King Philip IV.
Francisco de Zurbaran. The Ecstasy of Saint Francis
But then his too bold and innovative style of painting began to scare off customers and caused discontent in the Catholic Church. As a result, Zurbaran died in poverty.
Bartolome Esteban Murillo. Saint Isidore of Seville
3. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617 - 1682) He mainly painted religious themes, but he also painted many charming landscapes and genre scenes. He was highly respected in his homeland, as Murillo himself led an ascetic life, which, according to pious Spaniards, was the only right thing for an artist to do when painting religious pictures. He was especially successful in his portrayal of the Virgin Mary, depicted in dozens of outstanding canvases.
Diego Velazquez. Self-portrait in the painting Las Meninas
4. Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599 - 1660) was an artist who lived in the same era as Zurbarán and was close friends with him. However, his fate was much more fortunate, especially in his mature years. Velázquez was already considered the best Spanish painter during his lifetime, and already at the age of 24 he reached the pinnacle of his career: he received the status of court artist and painted portraits of the king and members of his family almost all his life, including the famous Las Meninas.
Diego Velazquez. Las Meninas
He was a true innovator and a great inventor in painting, and did not give in to any genre: in addition to portraits, he painted pictures on everyday, historical, mythological and religious themes. His paintings subsequently inspired many novelists and impressionists, and "Venus with a Mirror", where he supposedly painted his beloved Italian artist Flamini Triva, still impresses with its boldness, since it was painted at a time when the Spanish Inquisition was particularly fierce.
Diego Velazquez. Venus with a Mirror
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746 - 1828) who became the most famous representative of romanticism in painting, painted many pictures of various genres, and the richness and diversity of his creative heritage is truly impressive. His paintings changed according to the age and worldview of the artist himself. At first, they were bright, colorful, glorified the joy of life, and Goya, as a true macho, willingly depicted local mach - that is, bold and decisive Spanish girls from the common people and the urban lower classes, eager for carnal pleasures.
Francisco Goya. The Nude Maja
But from the 1790s and the subsequent French invasion of Spain, Goya's paintings became darker. Old age and illness left their mark on his work. He sympathized with the common people, so he painted a series of famous engravings, "Caprichos," in which he mercilessly ridiculed the hypocrisy and greed of the Spanish authorities.
Francisco Goya. May 3, 1808 in Madrid.
And the famous “black paintings” even now amaze with their gloom and grotesque horror.
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