LXIII: Assorted, cont’d

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To those who may be receiving one of these post-notifications for the first time: This is not a blog; it’s actually part of a book, and will make little sense to you without knowledge of what has come before—which you can easily obtain, along with a goodly amount of satirical theatre as matters progress, by simply entering ttgftyri.org into your web browser, opening the menu, and starting at page one. J.J.

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One painter who worked in Spain but wasn’t Spanish was Doménikos Theotokópoulos: better known both then and now as El Greco, ‘the Greek’.

Born in 1541 on the Mediterranean island of Crete—at the time, part of the independent Republic of Venice on the eastern side of the Italian peninsula—he received his first training from Cretan masters as a painter in the post-Byzantine tradition, and was himself certified as a master of that tradition before traveling to Venice at age twenty-six for more study; as a number of other Greek artists had done before him.

Three years later, he moved on to Rome and opened his own workshop; but then in time, relocated to distant Toledo, Spain—where he received several major commissions, executed all of the paintings for which he has since become famous, and remained until his death in 1614 at the age of seventy-two.

Modern art historians who’ve grown accustomed to labeling artists as belonging to this or that ‘school’ of art are struck dumb when asked where El Greco fits in—simply because his work defies association with any school or artist that ever was.

As an artist, he was—in the extreme—his own man; and yet, he too followed the traditional color formula used for depicting the Madonna garments.

See for yourself, since if only in appreciation of his unique style, we’re going to give him some special treatment here and show you every Madonna that he’s known to have ever painted.

1101. Annunciation, El Greco, ca. 1600
Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki, Japan

1102. Annunciation, El Greco, ca. 1600
Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

1103. Annunciation, El Greco, ca. 1600
Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio

1104. Annunciation, El Greco, 1571
Museo del Prado, Madrid

1105. Annunciation, El Greco, 1614
Banco Santander, Madrid

1106. Annunciation, El Greco, ca. 1598
Museo del Prado, Madrid

1107. Annunciation, El Greco, ca. 1611

1108. Annunciation, El Greco, 16th c.

1109. Annunciation, El Greco, 1568
Gallery Estense, Modena, Italy

1110. Annunciation, El Greco, 1576
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

1111. Annunciation, El Greco, ca. 1604
Hospital de la Caridad, Seville

1112. Marriage of the Virgin, El Greco, ca. 1604
National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest

1113. Nativity, El Greco, ca. 1604
Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, Illescas

1114: Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, ca. 1577
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

1115. Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, ca. 1610
Colegio del Patriarca, Valencia

1116. Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, ca. 1614
Museo del Prado, Madrid

1117: Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, 17th c.

1118. Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, 1570

1119: Holy Family with . . , El Greco, ca. 1593
Cleveland Museum of Art

1120. Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, ca. 1598

1121. Visitation, El Greco, ca. 1612

1122. Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco, 17th c.

1123. Holy Family with . . , El Greco, ca. 1595

1124. Holy Family with . . , El Greco, ca. 1587

1125. Holy Family with . . , El Greco, ca. 1597

1126. Holy Family, El Greco, 1485

1127. Flight into Egypt, El Greco, 15th c.

1128. Adoration of the Magi, El Greco, 15th c.

1129. Lamentation, El Greco, ca. 1573

1130. Crucifixion, El Greco, ca. 1597

1132. Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, El Greco, 1577

1131. Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, El Greco, 17th c.

1133. Madonna and Child with . . , El Greco, ca. 1598

1134. Coronation of the Virgin, El Greco, 1591

1135: Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, El Greco, 17th c.

1136. Crucifixion, El Greco, c. 1588

1137. Coronation of the Virgin, El Greco, 1591

1138: Coronation of the Virgi, El Greco, ca. 1604

1139. Pentecost, El Greco, 16th c.

1140. Burial of Count Orgaz, El Greco, ca. 1887

1141. Madonna of Charity, El Greco, ca. 1604

1142. Virgin of the Immaculate Coneption, El Greco, ca. 1608

1143. Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, El Greco, ca. 1610

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Meanwhile up north, where Catholicism more or less reigned supreme despite periodic grumbling by the Germanic peoples, until early in the sixteenth century when one of its German priests, Martin Luther, finally protested against its more corrupt practices along with papal authority in general, even the painters suddenly seemed bent on establishing their own way of doing things, if only by reversing the colors of the Virgin’s garments in their depictions of her—now portraying her mantle as red, and her gown as blue, as in the painting below.

1144. Madonna and Child, Jan van Eyck, 1436

Oh, by no means all of them; and not all of the time, depending upon the wishes of those who were commissioning them. Which brings us to the following Flemish painters whose works would do any Italian painter proud; granted that no one in them looks Italian.

1145. Madonna and Child Enthroned with . . , Jan van Eyck, 1441
Frick Collection, New York

1146. Nativity, Melchior Broederlam, 14th c.
Mayer van den Bergh Museum, Antwerp

1147. Madonna and Child, Henrik van Eyck, ca. 1440
Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen, Berlin

1148. Annunciation, Petrus Christus, ca. 1450
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

1149. Madonna and Child, David Gerard, ca. 1512
Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels.

1150. Madonna and Child, Jan Gossaert, 1527
Museo del Prado, Madrid

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1101: Google A&C https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/annunciation/zgGZbKaYeICq1Q

1102: MFA Budapest https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/the-annunciation-5/

1103: WikiArt https://www.wikiart.org/en/el-greco/annunciation

1104: Fine Art America https://fineartamerica.com/featured/23-the-annunciation-el-greco.html

1105: Fine Art America https://fineartamerica.com/featured/30-the-annunciation-el-greco.html

1106: Museo del Prado https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-annunciation/26bfae24-de87-47cd-9b7b-d15bd9fbb664

1107: Barnes Foundation https://collection.barnesfoundation.org/objects/5659/Annunciation/

1108: Sothebys https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/old-master-paintings-n09102/lot.44.html

1109: Arthive https://arthive.com/elgreco/works/17088~The_Annunciation_Of_Mary

1110: Fine Art America https://fineartamerica.com/featured/8-the-annunciation-el-greco.html

1111: iCanvas https://www.icanvas.com/canvas-print/the-annunciation-1597-1603-hospital-de-la-caridad-bmn6223#1PC6-26×26

1112: Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_of_the_Virgin_(El_Greco)

1113: Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_(El_Greco)

1114: The Met https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436570

1115: The Met https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436570

1116: Museo del Prado https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-adoration-of-the-shepherds/4fb170c0-d4cf-4c3e-8293-a8d7152aff78

1117: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/303148618658478386/?nic_v1=1baxFTn7Im73%2FCyXLGBr4Hk%2F0UIDwOdLSYAs%2FZpw%2BNMauMa9mmGwyzQv57G4%2BjyTKs

1118: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/82472236910654834/?nic_v1=1b%2FBgVVxwCOplLhQ8kmyuDQmz%2BWscIeG4hByp%2BF12kJCBSKuL6kf6LwF1HyWt6F2p0

1119: Portland Art Museum https://portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/masterworks-portland-el-greco/

1120: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Adoration-Of-The-Shepherds-Detail-1596-1600.html

1121: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Visitation-1610-13.html

1122: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Adoration-Of-The-Shepherds.html

1123: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Holy-Family-The-Virgin-Of-The-Good-Milk-1594-1604.html

1124: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Holy-Family.html

1125: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Holy-Family-1594-1604.html 1126: El Greco Foundation

1126: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Holy-Family-C.-1585.html

1127: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Flight-Into-Egypt.html

1128: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Adoration-Of-The-Magi.html

1129: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Pieta-The-Lamentation-Of-Christ-1571-76.html

1130: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Crucifixion-1596-1600.html

1131: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Immaculate-Conception.html

1132: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Assumption-Of-The-Virgin-1577.html

1133: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Madonna-And-Child-With-St.-Martina-And-St.-Agnes-1597-99.html

1134: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Coronation-Of-The-Virgin-1591.html

1135: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Virgin-Of-The-Immaculate-Conception.html

1136: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Christ-On-The-Cross-With-The-Two-Maries-And-St-John-C.-1588.html

1137: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Coronation-Of-The-Virgin-2-1591.html

1138: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Coronation-Of-The-Virgin-1603-05.html

1139: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/Outpouring-Of-The-Holy-Spirit.html

1140: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Burial-Of-The-Count-Of-Orgaz-1586-88.html

1141: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Madonna-Of-Charity-1603-05.html

1142: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Virgin-Of-The-Immaculate-Conception-1605-10.html

1143: El Greco Foundation https://www.el-greco-foundation.org/The-Virgin-Of-The-Immaculate-Conception-1608-13.html

1144: Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca_Madonna

1045: WikiArt https://www.wikiart.org/en/jan-van-eyck/virgin-and-child-with-saints-and-donor-1441

1046: AKG Images https://www.akg-images.com/archive/-2UMDHUNFQNUL.html

1046: Wikimedia Commons https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1440_van_der_Eyck_Die_Madonna_in_der_Kirche_anagoria.JPG

1047: Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrus_Christus

1048: Fine Art America https://fineartamerica.com/featured/assumption-and-ascension-of-the-virgin-michiel-coxcie.html

1049: Art History Land https://arthistoryland.com/david-gerard-madonna-and-child-with-the-milk-soup/

1050: Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Madonna_and_Child_1527_Jan_Gossaert.jpg