Assumption of the Virgin by El Greco

The Assumption of the Virgin by El Greco, c. 1577, is an arched oil on canvas altarpiece painting of the Virgin Mary leaving her intended tomb and rising to Heaven. Angels, saints, cherubs, and the heavenly hosts surround the serene figure as she ascends, while below saints and apostles watch in wonder at her empty crypt. El Greco constructs the tall vertical composition with his trademark elongated figurative forms, bold brilliant colour and vivid, painterly brushstrokes to tie the realms of Earth and Heaven together as the mother Mary ascends to her place in eternity. Domenikos Theotokópoulos (1541 - 1614) was born on the island of Crete where he apprenticed as a painter of religious icons in the Byzantine tradition. As a young man he studied in Venice under Titian and the painters of the Venetian Renaissance and became known by the moniker El Greco, "The Greek". El Greco permanently settled in Toledo, Spain, where he produced most of his famous paintings and worked also as a sculptor and architect. El Greco's unique manner defies classification, incorporating elements of the Italian and Spanish Renaissance, Byzantine art, Mannerism, and Expressionism. El Greco remained somewhat obscure until the 19th and 20th centuries, when his paintings profoundly influenced the rising modern artists.