Eric, Ami, and Anne's Great Masters Page: El Greco

A View of Toledo

Toledo was one of the most enlightened cities in Europe. It was the famous center for medicine, translations and manuscripts. While the rest of Europe was suffering through the Dark Ages, Toledo was shining bright and prospering. Toledo attracted Muslim, Christian, and Jewish men of learning and commerce. Toledo was the “proudest place” in History. However, things changed. The Jews of Toledo became the “enemy” After years of peace, violent massacres broke out. This history is incorporated into El Greco’s work. This painting is baroque in a sense that it is “painterly”. In this picture, there is a contrast between dark and light colors. In the painting, El Greco uses both light and dark colors, not only to contrast them both, but to give us a peak into the history of Toledo. The light colors represent the period in which Toledo was a prosperous city and the dark colors that seem to be hovering over this “enlighten” city, represents the massacres and racism that bled through the city after.

St. Jerome as a Cardinal

This is a baroque peice of art. It emphasises the contrast of light and dark, as St. Jerome is put agaisnt a pure black background, causing his bright red robes to stand out. St. Jerome wears a worried face, but the audience is unsure of the reason for this expression. This adds the the pictures ambiguity and unanswered questions. This painting is characteristic of El Greco's unique use of bright and virant colors and an unseen lightsource.

This painting is traditional of the subject matter of the Baroque style, as the Christ child is the center of the focus.  The luminous colors and extreme distortion of the bodies create a sense of wonder and ecstacy among the angels, shepherds, and parents as they worship the baby.  The child seems to radiate light which, in contrast to the dark surroundings, seems to heighten the drama of the painting.  As in all his other paintings, El Grecco added his traditional signature in the bottom left corner of the canvas.