Saint Martin and the Beggar - Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey McCormick

"Saint Martin and the Beggar" by Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco (c. 1597–c. 1600) Oil on canvas.

Commentary

"Saint Martin and the Beggar" by Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco (c. 1597–c. 1600) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather than through na rrative alone. Themes to notice include Mannerism, painting. This piece is held in the source collection's Painting and Sculpture of Europe collection. Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos; Greek, active in Spain, 1541–1614). The work is cataloged within a Greece cultural context. It is associated with the Mannerism period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as painting, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Oil on canvas) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (110 × 63 cm (43 5/16 × 24 13/16 in.); Framed: 133.4 × 85.7 × 10.2 cm (52 1/2 × 33 3/4 × 4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include Mannerism, painting. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/67362

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data