Center for Fine Arts in Brussels (BOZAR) Opens El Greco Exhibition

Written by Dario Gonzalez Friday, 05 February 2010 21:03

BRUSSELS.- Regarded today as one of the founders of the Spanish School of painting, El Greco has not, however, always enjoyed that lofty status. At the time of his death in Toledo in 1614, Europe was wildly enthusiastic about the then fashionable naturalism of the Caravaggesque style, poles apart from his own brilliant Mannerism. El Greco’s work soon went out of fashion and remained relatively neglected down the centuries – until 1908, when the art historian Manuel Bartolomé Cossío devoted a key monograph to him. On exhibition at BOZAR through 9 May, 2010.

The El Greco craze took off immediately. In 1910 a discerning art collector, the Marqués de la Vega-Inclán, even established a museum in his honor in Toledo. The painter’s fame, accordingly, flourished anew, as rapidly as it had been extinguished. In addition to outlining the key role played by those responsible for this spectacular rediscovery, the exhibition presents a fascinating overview of the painter’s artistic development via a unique selection of outstanding works, including the stunning "The Disrobing of Christ" and the striking "St. Peter in Tears", The highlight of the exhibition is El Greco’s final series of "Apostles", his artistic testament: a complete, astonishingly modern series, remarkable for its totally free forms and its extraordinarily bright colors. After this visit to the Center for Fine Arts the series will return to the Museo de El Greco in Toledo, which it will never leave again.

El Greco excelled also as a portraitist, mainly of ecclesiastics (Felix Paravicino, Boston Museum, 1609) or gentlemen, although one of his most beautiful works is a portrait of a lady (Pollock House, Glasgow, c. 1577-80), traditionally identified as a likeness of Jeronima de las Cuevas, his common-law wife. He also painted two views of Toledo (Met. Museum, New York, and Museo del Greco, Toledo), both late works, and a mythological painting, Laocoön (National Gallery, Washington, c. 1610), that is unique in his oeuvre. The unusual choice of subjects is perhaps explained by the local tradition that Toledo had been founded by descendants of the Trojans. El Greco also designed complete altar compositions, working as architect and sculptor as well as painter, for instance at the Hospital de la Caridad, Illescas (1603). Pacheco, who visited El Greco in 1611, refers to him as a writer on painting, sculpture, and architecture.

He had a proud temperament, conceiving of himself as an artist-philosopher rather that a craftsman, and had a lavish life-style, although he had little success in securing the royal patronage he desired and seems to have had some financial difficulties near the end of his life. His workshop turned out a great many replicas of his paintings, but his work was so personal that his influence was slight, his only followers of note being his son Jorge Manuel Theotocopouli and Luis Tristán. Interest in his art revived at the end of the 19th century, and with the development ofExpressionismin the 20th century he came into his own. The strangeness of his art has inspired various theories, for example that he was mad or suffered from astigmatism, but his rapturous paintings make complete sense as an expression of the religious fervour of his adopted country.

The Paleis voor Schone Kunsten(Dutch) or Palais des Beaux-Arts(French) is cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium. Often referred to as "Bozar" or "PSK", construction was completed in 1928 and includes exhibition and conference rooms, movie theater and concert hall which serves as home to the National Orchestra of Belgium.

Visit : www.bozar.be/home.php?lng=en

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