Spain set to celebrate 400 years of El Greco throughout 2014

2014 will celebrate 400 years since the death of world renowned Spanish Renaissance artist, El Greco. Spain and in particular the historic city of Toledo will be putting on special exhibitions and events in association with the El Greco 2014 Foundation to pay homage to the artist and his creative legacy.

El Greco, born Doménikos Theotokópoulos, was of Cretan origins but moved to Toledo in 1577 aged 16, where he remained for the rest of his life. Nicknamed El Greco (The Greek), he is best known for his tortuously elongated figures and bright colouring. These weren’t fully understood by his contemporaries but have since been a huge influence on the development of early modern art. His style is regarded as the pre-cursor to both Expressionism and Cubism.

Key El Greco exhibitions in 2014 include:

The Greek of Toledo
Museum of Santa Cruz, Toledo
March- June 2014

First exhibition dedicated to El Greco in Toledo- this exhibition will be based at the Museum of Santa Cruz but will extend to other buildings in Toledo, which hold original El Greco works. This includes the Vestry of Toledo Cathedral, The Chapel of San José, the Convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, the Church of Santo Tomé and the Tavera Hospital.

Toledo 2014
Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo
Throughout 2014

The exhibition will showcase Toledo, the city that El Greco depicted so many times, but through the eyes of 21st century photographers.

El Greco and Modern Painting
Prado, Madrid
June- October 2014

The exhibition will show the influence of El Greco’s work on some of the world’s most important 20th century painters including Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne and Picasso.