Saint Martin and the Beggar
Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco
1597
oil
canvas
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco
1597
oil
canvas
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Dominant colour
Saint Martin and the Beggar is a 1597 oil by Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco, a Mannerism work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
This painting shows Saint Martin on horseback, giving his cloak to a beggar. The scene is set against a background with the walls of Toledo visible. El Greco made this smaller version of a larger altarpiece, which helped him reach more people. He included details that his audience would recognize, like Saint Martin's armor. You can learn more about the artist who made this by looking up Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco.
This painting is a small replica of an altarpiece for the private family chapel of San José in Toledo, Spain. Producing smaller versions of commissioned altarpieces allowed El Greco to introduce his creations to a wider market. The composition here includes elements that would have resonated with his audience: Saint Martin wears fashionable, contemporary armor, and the walls of Toledo are visible in the distant background. Martin was a popular saint during the period, when the Catholic Church was promoting acts of charity like the gift of his cloak to a beggar as necessary for earning…
Possibly in the artist’s studio at the time of his death, 1614 [the 1614 inventory of the artist’s estate includes “un S. Martin” (a St. Martin); transcribed by F[rancisco] de B[orja de] San Román [y Fernández], El Greco en Toledo, Madrid, 1910, p. 193]; possibly by descent to his son, Jorge Manuel Theotocopoulos (d. 1631), Toledo [the 1621 inventory of Jorge Manuel’s possessions includes “170 Un San Martin a caballo, de bara y terzia y tres quartas” (170 A Saint Martin on horseback, of one vara and a third by three quarters); transcribed by Francisco de Borja de San Román y Fernández, “De la…
New York, M. Knoedler & Co., Loan exhibition of paintings by El Greco and Goya for the benefit of the American Women War Relief Fund and the Belgian Relief Fund, 1915, cat. 4. Art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress, June 1–November 1, 1933, cat. 176. Art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress, June 1–November 1, 1934, cat. 76. Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Spanish Paintings, Textiles, Furniture, Arms, and Pottery, 1936, no cat. Norfolk, Va., Chrysler Museum of Art, The Genius of El Greco: Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago, July 1–October 18, 1998, no cat. Berlin,…
Read the full account in the museum source.
El Greco painted dramatic, elongated figures in oil on canvas, blending late Renaissance technique with something more spiritual and restless.
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