El Greco; or Domeacute;nikos Theotokoacute;poulos; was born to Greek parents on the island of Crete. He is considered by many art historians to be the last great Mannerist painter. El Greco; or ldquo;The Greek;rdquo; left Crete for Venice; Italy; in his mid-twenties. Following the Venetian Renaissance tradition; he began to elongate his figures; a style that would come to be associated with his most famous works. But like all artists of the time; El Greco needed a patron to support him. The Italian cities were rampant with artists and the competition was fierce. Finally; El Greco tried his luck in Spain. Originally lured to that nation to complete a commission for the Toledo Cathedral; he never left. In Spain; El Greco found fame. His preferred subjects were people; whether his contemporaries or characters from the bible. In his 40 years in Spain; the church was the source of the majority of his commissions and much of his work can be found in cathedrals there. Only two landscapes painted by him survive to this day. Extremely litigious; El Greco often found himself on the losing side of the battle. One battle he did not lose; however; was his place in history. Velaacute;zquez; Picasso; van Gogh; Delaunay; and Ceacute;zanne all cited El Greco as being hugely influential in the development of their artistic styles.
#1521572 in eBooks 2013-07-10 2013-07-10File Name: B00FMWDU1M
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. One of many Conrad masterworksBy OldSoldierSixWorth reading just to admire Conrads mastery of language; made even more impressive because he was born Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski; in Poland in 1857. He knew only a few words in English as a teenager; did not read or write English at all until he was in his twenties; yet all of his books - classics which have influenced dozens of modern writers - were written in English. His 20-plus years at sea on sailing vessels; roaming all the worlds oceans in every position from deck hand to master (captain) for the French and British merchant fleets; gave him a deep and rich understanding of the sea - and the men who sailed upon it. His descriptions of the sea in all its moods and his development of characters are superb.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A masterpiece of the power of the language when used well.By David MooreA classic in the utilization of vivid descriptions and masterful scene painting skills. It is impossible to read without feeling the typhoons lashing at the room around you. Easy to see why it is a well-studied work by many students.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Danxactly what was wanted