El Greco's 'Saint Francis and Brother Leo in Meditation'

Art historian Jacky Klein discusses the devotional power of the 16th-century masterpiece. Born in 1541 on the Greek island of Crete, Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known as El Greco, grew up in one of the few remaining outposts of the Greek Orthodox church that was still producing Byzantine art some 100 years after the fall of Constantinople. By age 22, El Greco had become a master of the local artist’s guild. Around 1567 El Greco travelled to Venice, where he studied under the Italian master Titian. In Italy he ‘picked up the spirit of Venetian painting, which is all about luscious rich textured surfaces,’ explains art historian Jacky Klein. After a stint in Rome, El Greco’s work also adopted the twisting figures and unusual perspectives associated with the contemporary Mannerist style. But the Greek artist could never shake his reputation as a foreigner. Find out more: http://ift.tt/2mSm30e