El Greco valuation
Cretan-born painter who settled in Toledo and made intense, flame-like religious pictures.
Domenikos Theotokopoulos, known as El Greco (1541–1614), was born in Crete and trained as an icon painter before going to Venice in about 1567 and then to Rome.
What a work by El Greco is worth
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Bio
Domenikos Theotokopoulos, known as El Greco (1541–1614), was born in Crete and trained as an icon painter before going to Venice in about 1567 and then to Rome. He settled in Toledo in 1577 and remained there for the rest of his life. His elongated figures, flickering light and sharp colour are seen in The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586–1588) in the church of Santo Tomé in Toledo, and in the View of Toledo in New York. He was largely neglected after his lifetime and was rediscovered around 1900 by painters and critics who saw in him an ancestor of modern art.
He ran a busy workshop that produced several versions of his popular religious subjects, including his Saint Francis and Saint Jerome, so the degree of his own involvement is the first question for any picture. Paintings by him are scarce, while workshop pieces and later copies are more common. A buyer will want a specialist's opinion and a clear history of ownership. Canvases should be checked for relining, abrasion and past overcleaning.
At a glance
- Born
- 1541
- Died
- 7 April 1614, Toledo
- Movement
- Mannerism
Whitebank Fine Art is an art advisory and gallery, not an auction house, and is not affiliated with any auction house or with the artist, their estate or their representatives. This page describes the range we advise on. Nothing here is investment advice.
