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.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 El Greco's Late Career Masterpiece

The discussion focuses on El Greco's painting 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' created around 1612-1614 for his family chapel. The painting is noted for its personal significance to the artist and its departure from naturalism, with elongated figures and distorted body positions. The speakers suggest that El Greco's Greek origins and training in Byzantine icon painting influenced his unique style, which allowed for symbolic distortions of the human form. The painting's lack of real depth and the use of clouds and light to create a spiritual atmosphere are highlighted, along with the figures' flickering, mutable nature that conveys a sense of the divine's presence in the physical world.

Keywords

💡El Greco

El Greco was a Greek painter, sculptor, and architect who is considered a precursor to both Expressionism and Cubism. In the context of the video, El Greco is discussed for his late-career painting 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' which he painted for his family chapel around 1612-1614. His unique style, characterized by elongated figures and a departure from naturalism, is highlighted as a significant aspect of his work, particularly in this painting.

💡Adoration of the Shepherds

This painting by El Greco is the central focus of the video. It depicts the biblical scene of shepherds adoring the newborn Christ. The painting is noted for its unique style, with elongated figures and a disregard for naturalistic proportions, which is indicative of El Greco's mature period. The video discusses how this painting reflects El Greco's personal connection to the subject matter and his innovative approach to art.

💡Mannerism

Mannerism is a period of European art that followed the Renaissance and was characterized by a style that exaggerated the principles of the Renaissance, often resulting in highly stylized and unnatural forms. In the video, the speakers mention that El Greco's work, particularly 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' is extreme even by Mannerist standards, indicating a significant departure from the norms of the period.

💡Baroque

The Baroque period was an artistic style and movement that emphasized emotion, movement, and grandeur in contrast to the simplicity, harmony, and proportion of the previous Renaissance period. The video discusses how El Greco's work bridges the transition from Mannerism to the Baroque, with 'Adoration of the Shepherds' showing elements of both styles.

💡Byzantine tradition

The Byzantine tradition refers to the artistic and cultural heritage of the Byzantine Empire, which was known for its religious iconography and stylized, symbolic representations. In the video, it is mentioned that El Greco was trained as a Greek icon painter, and this background influenced his work, allowing him to distort figures for symbolic purposes, as seen in 'Adoration of the Shepherds.'

💡Naturalism

Naturalism in art refers to the depiction of subjects as they appear in nature, with an emphasis on realism and accurate representation. The video points out that El Greco's 'Adoration of the Shepherds' shows 'enormous license with naturalism,' suggesting that he intentionally deviated from realistic portrayals to achieve a more expressive and symbolic style.

💡Counter-Reformation

The Counter-Reformation was the Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation, aiming to reform and renew Catholicism. The video discusses how El Greco's paintings, including 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' were created in a context where the church was seeking to inspire faith in a powerful new way, reflecting the spiritual intensity of the Counter-Reformation era.

💡Color

The use of color in art is a significant aspect of El Greco's work, as highlighted in the video. His paintings, including 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' are noted for their bold and unprecedented use of colors such as neon oranges, greens, blues, and golds. This vivid color palette is seen as a means to express the spiritual and transcendent aspects of the subject matter.

💡Foreshortening

Foreshortening is a technique used in painting to represent an object or a figure as though it is receding into the distance, creating a sense of depth. In the video, the speakers mention the 'amazing foreshortening' in 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' particularly in the depiction of angels, which contributes to the dynamic and otherworldly quality of the painting.

💡Transcendent

Transcendent refers to something that goes beyond the ordinary or material world, often relating to the spiritual or divine. The video discusses how El Greco's 'Adoration of the Shepherds' conveys a sense of the transcendent through its use of color, light, and form, suggesting that the divine is present and infuses the physical world in a palpable way.

Highlights

El Greco's 'Adoration of the Shepherds' was painted late in his career, around 1612-1614.

The painting holds personal significance as it was for his family chapel.

El Greco's style becomes increasingly wild later in his career.

The figures in the painting are incredibly elongated and defy naturalistic norms.

El Greco's work represents an extreme form of Mannerism, moving into the Baroque period.

His Greek origin and Byzantine training influenced his stylistic choices.

El Greco's paintings in Toledo show his understanding of contemporary Renaissance art.

He intentionally removes references to actual space, focusing on clouds and light.

The Christ child is depicted as a light source, with figures warming themselves around it.

The painting's light seems to flicker, creating a sense of transience.

El Greco's use of color is unprecedented, with neon oranges, greens, blues, and golds.

His bold use of color wouldn't be matched until Delacroix in the 19th century.

The painting features stark contrasts of light and dark, and dramatic foreshortening.

El Greco's work conveys the divine as a physical force infusing the world.

The painting reflects the Counter-Reformation's efforts to inspire faith.

El Greco's paintings were able to achieve the church's goals of spiritual inspiration.

The divine is depicted as completely intertwined with the physical world in El Greco's work.

Transcripts

SPEAKER 1: We're in the Prado looking

at El Greco's "Adoration of the Shepherds."

This is a painting that he did very late in his career.

It was about 1612, 1614.

SPEAKER 2: And one that had personal significance for him,

since it was for his family chapel.

SPEAKER 1: It's a wild painting.

SPEAKER 2: Well, all El Grecos are wild,

but he clearly gets wilder later in his career.

SPEAKER 1: He maybe felt freer because it

was personally related.

SPEAKER 2: The figures are incredibly elongated.

The positions of their bodies make no sense.

There's just enormous license with naturalism here.

Naturalism, in fact, doesn't even

seem to be a requirement, even though we're just coming really

out of the Renaissance here.

I mean, even by Mannerist standards--

because we're basically in the period of Mannerism,

moving into the Baroque-- this is extreme.

SPEAKER 1: Well, El Greco was Greek.

And he was trained, actually, as a Greek icon painter.

And of course, the Byzantine tradition

was a tradition that was concerned

with distorting the body for symbolic purpose.

And so I think there is a kind of license

that comes from that tradition.

Now, El Greco gets to Spain.

And he does these paintings in Toledo for the most part,

by way of Italy, where he really does

train in the Renaissance style.

So he understands contemporary art at this point.

I mean, he really understands what people are doing.

But he's also willing to let go.

Look what he's done.

He's removed virtually any reference to actual space.

We have almost no sense of real depth.

We have a little bit of a barrel vault right behind the Virgin

Mary, but besides that, it's all clouds and light.

SPEAKER 2: And movement-- if you look

at the structure of the painting, the composition,

the Christ child occupies the center of about five or six

figures, almost provides the light source,

almost as though it was a fire in the center of those figures

that they were all warming their hands by.

SPEAKER 1: I think actually that idea of fire is perfect.

The figures feel like flames.

In fact, the light seems to be flickering.

Everything seems to be transient,

and nothing seems to be fixed.

Even the human bodies themselves,

as you mentioned before, seem completely mutable.

SPEAKER 2: I think that this pictorial language that we're

describing represents the spiritual, the transcendent,

otherworldly.

SPEAKER 1: The church was really trying

to combat the threat of the Reformation.

And I think that, especially in Toledo,

you have a very severe reaction, a Counter-Reformation taking

the Council of Trent doctrine very seriously.

SPEAKER 2: So the church is really

looking to reform itself, to inspire faith

in believers in a new and powerful way.

And I think El Greco's paintings were able to achieve that.

One of the things that he's doing

is using color in a way that's really, I think, unprecedented.

We have neon oranges, and greens, and blues,

and golds that I don't think I've ever seen before.

SPEAKER 1: It really won't be until Delacroix

in the 19th century that somebody is as bold with color.

And even Delacroix, I think, is muted in comparison to this.

SPEAKER 2: We also have these very stark contrasts of light

and dark, and figures that are very close to us,

and this amazing foreshortening.

I mean, look at those angels up in the sky.

I mean, we're seeing them from these remarkable angles.

SPEAKER 1: There's a sense in El Greco's work,

and especially in the "Adoration of the Shepherds,"

that the divine is with us in the most complete way.

That is, it completely infuses the physical world

in a way that more traditional, more representational

Renaissance painting, and even Mannerist painting,

doesn't quite achieve.

There is a sense that the divine actually

is a physical force that runs as a current through the space

that El Greco defines.