El Greco's View of Toledo

Ipad rendering of El Greco's View of Toledo

A stormy sky in the Bay Area on Saturday inspired me to choose this painting.  I love dark skies and light colored landscapes as in El Greco's View of Toledo. I never knew he made any landscapes, so I feel that this one is pretty special. Doesn't it look modern? It reminds me of Van Gogh's Landscape at Saint-Remy, painted almost 300 years later.

El Greco traveled throughout Italy learning a combination of techniques including color and design in Venice, composition that he learned from Michelangelo, and the Mannerist style both in Rome. He certainly traveled a lot! Imagine what that was like back in the late 1500's! He left Italy for Spain after being ostracized by Michelangelo. Apparently, El Greco was pretty vocal about his not so flattering opinions of Michelangelo's work. Doing so forced him to go find patronage elsewhere.

He finally made his way to Toledo where he created his most famous and praised works, including The Burial of Count Orgaz, one of my favorites. He loved Toledo and lived there until his death.