El Greco, Adoration of the Shepherds

Summary

In the Prado, El Greco's late career masterpiece, 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' is examined. Painted around 1612-1614 for his family chapel, it showcases his signature elongated figures and departure from naturalism. Influenced by his Greek icon painting background and the Byzantine tradition of symbolic distortion, El Greco's work is a blend of Mannerism and Baroque. The painting's spiritual transcendence is conveyed through its ethereal composition, vibrant colors, and stark light contrasts, reflecting the Counter-Reformation's efforts to inspire faith.

Takeaways

• 🖼️ El Greco's 'Adoration of the Shepherds' is a late career work, painted around 1612-1614.
• 🏰 The painting was personally significant for El Greco as it was intended for his family chapel.
• 🌀 El Greco's style becomes more expressive and 'wild' in his later years, with a departure from naturalism.
• 🧍‍♂️ The figures in the painting are elongated and their positions defy anatomical norms.
• 🎨 Despite being in the Mannerist period, El Greco's work is extreme even by those standards.
• 🛕 El Greco's Greek origin and Byzantine training influenced his tendency to distort figures for symbolic purposes.
• 🏙️ The painting lacks a sense of real depth, with minimal references to actual space, focusing on clouds and light.
• 🔥 The Christ child is depicted as a light source, with figures around him resembling flames, suggesting a sense of transcendence.
• ⛪ The Counter-Reformation's influence is evident in the painting's attempt to inspire faith and combat the Reformation.
• 🌈 El Greco's use of color is bold and unprecedented, with vibrant oranges, greens, blues, and golds.
• 👁️‍🗨️ The painting features stark contrasts of light and dark, and dramatic foreshortening, enhancing the sense of the divine's presence.

Q & A

What is the significance of El Greco's 'Adoration of the Shepherds' in relation to his career?

The 'Adoration of the Shepherds' is significant as it was painted late in El Greco's career, around 1612-1614, and it was personally significant because it was for his family chapel.

How does El Greco's style in 'Adoration of the Shepherds' differ from his earlier works?

El Greco's style in 'Adoration of the Shepherds' is described as 'wilder' compared to his earlier works, with figures that are incredibly elongated and positions that make no sense, showing an enormous license with naturalism.

What influence does the Byzantine tradition have on El Greco's depiction of the human body in his paintings?

El Greco's training as a Greek icon painter influenced his work, allowing a kind of license to distort the body for symbolic purposes, which is a characteristic of the Byzantine tradition.

How does El Greco's understanding of contemporary art influence his work in 'Adoration of the Shepherds'?

El Greco's understanding of contemporary art, gained through his training in the Renaissance style in Italy, allowed him to innovate and let go of traditional naturalism, as seen in the lack of real depth and the use of clouds and light in 'Adoration of the Shepherds'.

What role does the Christ child play in the composition of 'Adoration of the Shepherds'?

In the composition of 'Adoration of the Shepherds', the Christ child occupies the center and almost provides the light source, with figures arranged around it as if warming their hands by a fire.

How does El Greco use light and color in 'Adoration of the Shepherds' to convey a sense of the divine?

El Greco uses light and color in a bold and unprecedented way in 'Adoration of the Shepherds', with neon oranges, greens, blues, and golds, and stark contrasts of light and dark, to convey a sense of the divine and the spiritual.

What historical context is El Greco's 'Adoration of the Shepherds' set against?

The painting is set against the backdrop of the Counter-Reformation, where the church was trying to inspire faith in believers in a new and powerful way, which El Greco's work was able to achieve.

How does El Greco's use of color in 'Adoration of the Shepherds' compare to other artists of his time?

El Greco's use of color in 'Adoration of the Shepherds' is described as bold and unprecedented, with colors that are so vivid they wouldn't be matched until Delacroix in the 19th century, and even then, Delacroix's colors are considered muted in comparison.

What is the effect of the foreshortening and perspective used in 'Adoration of the Shepherds'?

The foreshortening and perspective in 'Adoration of the Shepherds' create a sense of the divine being with us in a complete way, infusing the physical world and creating a sense of the divine as a physical force running through the space defined by El Greco.

How does El Greco's painting technique in 'Adoration of the Shepherds' contribute to the spiritual and transcendent nature of the scene?

El Greco's painting technique, with its elongated figures, lack of real depth, and flickering light, contributes to the spiritual and transcendent nature of the scene by making everything seem transient and mutable, emphasizing the otherworldly.