Domenikos Theotokopoulus El Greco The Purification of the Temple

Domenikos Theotokopoulus is better known to most as El Greco (the Greek), and is famous for his bold use of color as well as religious iconography. The work The Purification of the Temple was painted somewhere during 1570-1610 and is unique amongst his works. What makes this piece different is the fact that in the lower right hand corner of the painting there are four figures who certainly are out of place for the setting of the painting which was in the alleged time of Jesus of Bethlehem. From left to right we encounter Titian, Michaelangelo, Guilio Clovio and Raphael. The inclusion of these four masters leaves one with two distinct impressions. First, the fact that El Greco considered these men to be worthy of exaltation as masters of their craft, second, that by their inclusion in his work, Domenikos considered himself to be on a par with the greats. Purification was painted when El Greco first arrived in Rome fresh off his studies with Titian in Venice and this could have been a contributing factor to the exquisite demonstration of his mastering of Mannerism. As with most of Domenikos work, Purification has a significant lack of actual line utilization, he instead depends on implied lines in the foreground and when concerning figures. Another method El Greco uses is the mannerism of the figures and the bold application of color to move the eye from one player in the work to another. Where there is

linear application it is reminiscent of Raphaels The School of Athens, in that the architecture is sharp, and perfect in perspective. The composition is strong in its overall movement and manipulation of the eye. It is a split composition in the sense that a majority of the line and inanimate subject matter is confined to the upper portion of the painting. This is a clever tactic that establishes a setting as well as a sort of framing the action of the lower section of the painting. The lower half of the work is filled with figures, action, passion and vivid colorization. The eye is drawn in by the arch in the top portion of painting, expertly positioned to surround the main figure, Yashua. Following the line of the arch one is drawn into the action on the lower portion of the work. An untrained eye might find the lower half chaotic, which as a form of encapsulating the story behind the painting it is intended to appear as such, but the truth of the matter is that all of the figures are expertly positioned, colored and working together to lead the viewer. The leaning away of the figures on the left of Jesus and the leaning in of the figures on the viewers right are an excellent example of the framing the figures strengthen and provide. The tone of the work is somewhat subdued in comparison to others in El Grecos oeuvre. The toned down hues may have been part of the influence of Titian, who while a master in his own right, had a more conservative palette. The technique is perfect in its execution so there is no reason to nitpick. The tones are earthy, mostly warm in nature and not nearly as brashly or painterly in their execution. This brings one to another stark observation of Purification, this work is much less Expressionistic in its brushwork than some of Grecos other works. Not nearly approaching PhotoRealism by any stretch of the imagination, but if one were to compare it to other works such as View of Toledo, the difference is startling.

Although a radical painter El Greco was not political he did have aspirations to be a painter for King Phillip V. This, along with his conversion to Catholicism may have been the driving factors in his affinity for religious iconography. This being said, there really is nothing to read into his paintings from a Marxist critical viewpoint. From the Feminist perspective as well, there is little to go on in this work as it is dominated by the misogyny of the very subject matter. What can be said is that the formalistic properties of the work are as near perfection as man can achieve and the style was one that was light years ahead of its time.