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2014 has been declared the Year of the Greco, which is the year when we celebrate the 4th death anniversary of this magnificent painter from the city of Toledo.
Greco’s self-portrait
Domenikos Theotokopoulos, also known as El Greco (The Greek), was born in Creta, where he lived for twenty six years. He developed himself in the world of arts of Byzantine influence. Later on, he spent 10 years in Italy, developing himself from the Renaissance and Mannerism until he moved out to Toledo, Spain. He spent the rest of his days in Toledo and this city was the stage in which he developed his masterpieces: large canvas for religious institutions and some portraits of great level. His personal style, namely self-illuminated lengthened mannerist, thin, sinuous, almost ghostly figures and the use of colors that achieve a high contrast. All of the aforementioned made him, during the centuries, one of the greatest artists of the Western world. For el Greco (also known as El Greco from Toledo), the supremacy of the imagination was beyond the imitation in the artistic creation, and his work ended up evolving into an anti-naturalist and spiritualist.
The Year of El Greco events started off with the return of the painting The Expropriation to its natural space in the Cathedral of Toledo, after being restored and exhibited in the Prado Museum. A Concert of Bells in the city of Toledo was the starting signal of all the events that have been organized for this 2014.
The Expropriation by El Greco, Cathedral of Toledo
The main event within the activity schedule will be the six Great Exhibitions that will be held in Toledo and Madrid. These two events will be adorned with gigs, chats and gastronomic samples that will take place throughout the current year.
The Count Orgaz burial, El Greco. Saint Tome Church, Toledo.
In order to be properly be updated about all that is befalling in this Year of El Greco, we suggest you to check the Official Web of The Year of El Greco Year 2014.
