Doménikos Theotokópoulos

1541-1614

Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known as El Greco, was a painter, sculptor, and architect born in Candia (modern Heraklion) on Crete in 1541. After training in the Post-Byzantine tradition, he moved to Venice around 1567, where he worked within Titian's sphere and absorbed Venetian Renaissance techniques. He spent time in Rome before settling in Toledo, Spain, in 1577, where he remained until his death in 1614. El Greco developed a distinctive style—elongated figures, dramatic perspectives, and vivid color—that married Byzantine traditions with Western Mannerism. Though puzzling to his contemporaries and largely ignored during his lifetime, he is now regarded as a precursor of Expressionism and Cubism, profoundly influencing artists from Goya to Picasso. His religious works dominate his output, and he remained engaged with architecture and sculpture throughout his career.