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170-552: A very famous and expensive painting is stolen from the MNAC art museum in Barcelona, Spain . The museum has many security features that are problematic for the thieves, but because of their skill they are able to circumvent the security and steal the famous El Greco Christ Carrying the Cross on display courtesy of Victor Boyd ( Ed Lauter .) After the first heist, Sandra Walker ( Ellen Pompeo ),

340-595: A national museum in 1990 under the Museums Law passed by the Catalan Government. In 1992 a thorough renovation process was launched to refurbish the site, based on plans drawn up by the architects Gae Aulenti and Enric Steegmann, who were later joined in the undertaking by Josep Benedito. The Oval Hall was reopened in 1992 on the occasion of the Olympic Games, and the various collections were installed and opened over

510-506: A Spanish humanist and agent of Philip; Pedro Chacón , a clergyman; and Luis de Castilla , son of Diego de Castilla , the dean of the Cathedral of Toledo . El Greco's friendship with Castilla would secure his first large commissions in Toledo. He arrived in Toledo by July 1577, and signed contracts for a group of paintings that was to adorn the church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo and for

680-422: A beautiful, well-proportioned woman, no matter from which point of view, however extravagant, not only lose her beauty in order to, I would say, increase in size according to the law of vision, but no longer appear beautiful, and, in fact, become monstrous." — El Greco, from marginalia the painter inscribed in his copy of Daniele Barbaro 's translation of Vitruvius ' De architectura . The discovery of

850-518: A boastful display of his dexterity" and that "he believed in constant repainting and retouching in order to make the broad masses tell flat as in nature". "I hold the imitation of color to be the greatest difficulty of art." — El Greco, from notes of the painter in one of his commentaries. Art historian Max Dvořák was the first scholar to connect El Greco's art with Mannerism and Antinaturalism . Modern scholars characterize El Greco's theory as "typically Mannerist" and pinpoint its sources in

1020-498: A considerable number of Catalan works accompanied, moreover, by an extraordinary selection of pieces from the other territories that were once ruled by the Crown of Aragon . As a whole, this section presents a broad, representative panoramic view of Gothic art produced in the three large peninsular territories that formed part of the Crown – Catalonia , Aragon itself, and Valencia – as well as

1190-424: A good many steps ahead of us, turning back to show us the way". During the same period, other researchers developed alternative, more radical theories. The ophthalmologists August Goldschmidt and Germán Beritens argued that El Greco painted such elongated human figures because he had vision problems (possibly progressive astigmatism or strabismus ) that made him see bodies longer than they were, and at an angle to

1360-933: A monumental organ , one of the biggest in Europe, waiting for an important restoration work. Many of the most outstanding painters and sculptors of the day, for the most part followers of the Noucentista aesthetic and cultural movement, were commissioned to decorate the interior of the Palau. Entrance from the front is by a huge staircase leading up from Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, flanked halfway by magnificent monumental illuminated fountains designed by Carles Buïgas . El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos ( Greek : Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος , IPA: [ðoˈminikos θeotoˈkopulos] ; 1 October 1541 – 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ( Spanish pronunciation: [el ˈgɾeko] ; "The Greek"),

1530-560: A more anecdotal selection of works from Majorca . The Gothic rooms display works from the late 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, arranged in chronological order, although the pieces are also grouped by school and typological affinity, and several thematic sections have been established. These include the renowned Mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca , which preside over the first Gothic room. This same room also contains other works on profane themes or from secular sites, including elements from

1700-619: A movement particularly active in that century, many projects were launched to help revive and conserve the country's artistic heritage. This process began with the establishment of the Museu d'Antiguitats de Barcelona (Barcelona Museum of Antiquities) in the Chapel of St Agatha (1880) and the Museu Municipal de Belles Arts (Municipal Fine Art Museum) in the Palau de Belles Arts (1891), a palace built to mark

1870-499: A movement that gained many followers between the wars. Others, such as Torres-García himself, Rafael Barradas and Salvador Dalí , found in the Galeries Dalmau the ideal gallery at which to show their more innovative works. The historic avant-garde is very well represented, particularly in terms of sculpture, with works including impressive sculptures by Pablo Gargallo , Julio González and Leandre Cristòfol , whilst in painting

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2040-774: A profit. The dealer brought in two Italian art restorers who were experts at detaching wall paintings , a technique called "strappo". The frescos were sent to the United States , and they now reside in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston . There were no laws in Spain forbidding the removal and expatriation of the art, but the shipment of the monastery murals to the United States alarmed the Catalan Board of Museums . The Board developed plans to conserve

2210-454: A reciprocal relationship is developed between the two which completely unifies the painting surface. This interweaving would re-emerge three centuries later in the works of Cézanne and Picasso . Another characteristic of El Greco's mature style is the use of light. As Jonathan Brown notes, "each figure seems to carry its own light within or reflects the light that emanates from an unseen source". Fernando Marias and Agustín Bustamante García,

2380-531: A religious scene; some others that El Greco's works violated a basic rule of the Counter-Reformation , namely that in the image the content was paramount rather than the style. Philip took a close interest in his artistic commissions, and had very decided tastes; a long sought-after sculpted Crucifixion by Benvenuto Cellini also failed to please when it arrived, and was likewise exiled to a less prominent place. Philip's next experiment, with Federico Zuccari

2550-508: A series of works strongly marked by his Venetian apprenticeship. It is unknown how long he remained in Rome, though he may have returned to Venice ( c.  1575–76 ) before he left for Spain. In Rome, on the recommendation of Giulio Clovio, El Greco was received as a guest at the Palazzo Farnese , which Cardinal Alessandro Farnese had made a center of the artistic and intellectual life of

2720-562: A somewhat narrow circle". In El Greco's work, Meier-Graefe found foreshadowing of modernity. These are the words Meier-Graefe used to describe El Greco's impact on the artistic movements of his time: He [El Greco] has discovered a realm of new possibilities. Not even he, himself, was able to exhaust them. All the generations that follow after him live in his realm. There is a greater difference between him and Titian, his master, than between him and Renoir or Cézanne. Nevertheless, Renoir and Cézanne are masters of impeccable originality because it

2890-679: A veritable portrait gallery of the leading personalities of the era in Catalonia, and which Casas himself donated to the museum in 1909. Turning now to the noucentista movement, we should draw attention in particular to Isidre Nonell , represented in the Cabinet by some 150 pieces. Nor should we forget the collection of posters from the same period, largely acquired by the museum from Lluís Plandiura in 1903. Comprising more than 500 pieces among which foreign artists are also well represented, this invaluable legacy constitutes an incomparable resource for tracing

3060-619: A view of the different tendencies in Catalan Romanesque art and featuring works produced, for the most part, in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. The visit to this section begins with the mural paintings from Sant Joan in Boí , which show clear stylistic influences from the French Carolingian tradition, and then continues with works showing the Italian influence that dominated painting from

3230-554: A widespread revival of interest in his painting. In the 1890s, Spanish painters living in Paris adopted him as their guide and mentor. However, in the popular English-speaking imagination he remained the man who "painted horrors in the Escorial" in the words of Ephraim Chambers ' Cyclopaedia in 1899. In 1908, Spanish art historian Manuel Bartolomé Cossío published the first comprehensive catalogue of El Greco's works; in this book El Greco

3400-538: A workshop capable of producing altar frames and statues as well as paintings. On 12 March 1586 he obtained the commission for The Burial of the Count of Orgaz , now his best-known work. The decade 1597 to 1607 was a period of intense activity for El Greco. During these years he received several major commissions, and his workshop created pictorial and sculptural ensembles for a variety of religious institutions. Among his major commissions of this period were three altars for

3570-415: Is Symbolism , represented here by the paintings of Alexandre de Riquer and Joan Brull , and also seen in certain photographs by the pictorialist Pere Casas Abarca . The second generation of Modernista artists are present in depth and number, too, with works by the likes of Isidre Nonell , Marià Pidelaserra , Ricard Canals , Hermen Anglada–Camarasa , Nicolau Raurich and Joaquim Mir , among others. It

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3740-509: Is a movement of enormous artistic and cultural importance in Catalonia , is one of the central themes in the Museu Nacional modern art collection. In painting, the works most clearly identified with this movement, infused with a spirit of renewal, are those by Ramon Casas and Santiago Rusiñol , whose Parisian paintings embrace certain elements from French Impressionism. Another important trend

3910-685: Is a self-portrait of the artist himself. You can find this painting in Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York City . Coronation of the Virgin - Painted by the famous El Greco (1541 – 7 April 1614), this oil painting produced in Spain was completed around the year 1591. Scholars have presumed that Greco created the first version of this elaborate painting which displays Christ , Virgin Mary , and God-the-Father. The dove above them symbolizes peace, which through

4080-469: Is called by her boss Victor Boyd and sent to Spain to ensure his El Greco is returned. Victor Boyd, the owner of the stolen El Greco, is a very rich and powerful businessman who Sandra works for as an art consultant. She is called in to find the stolen El Greco because she persuaded Victor to display it at the MNAC art museum, from which it was ultimately stolen. While getting ready for her trip to Spain to track down

4250-841: Is formed by its 4,100 examples of banknotes. These include the Spanish series containing all the banknotes issued by the Bank of Spain from 1874 to the present, as well as the series of paper money printed by the Catalan Government and local authorities in the country during the Spanish Civil War. The Cabinet also exhibits a range of different pieces of interest due to their direct or indirect connection with numismatics. These include, amongst other things, tools used for minting coin, coin weights, scales, jettons (counters), pellofes and other types of tokens, stamps, medals and various documentary collections. The National Palau of Montjuïc, known as Palau Nacional

4420-549: Is known about his mother or his first wife, except that they were also Greek . His second wife was a Spaniard. El Greco's older brother, Manoússos Theotokópoulos (1531–1604), was a wealthy merchant and spent the last years of his life (1603–1604) in El Greco's Toledo home. El Greco received his initial training as an icon painter of the Cretan school, a leading center of post- Byzantine art . In addition to painting, he probably studied

4590-532: Is little more than anecdotal. Two acquisitions made by the old Museums Board were fundamental to forming the collections contained in the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints. The first was the collection of literary and art critic Raimon Casellas , in 1911; the second, that of Modernista artist Alexandre de Riquer , ten years later. The collections of the Numismatic Cabinet of Catalonia, established in 1932, now comprises more than 134,000 pieces. This rich holding

4760-422: Is made up of works produced in Spain, mostly by well-known artists and engravers, who created medals of the highest quality. For example, the Museu Nacional medals collection features works by such outstanding 18th-century master engravers as Tomás Francisco Prieto and Jerónimo Antonio Gil . During the late 19th century, moreover, particularly after the 1888 Barcelona Exhibition, many Modernista sculptors turned to

4930-674: Is not clear, most scholars agree that El Greco went to Venice around 1567. Knowledge of El Greco's years in Italy is limited. He lived in Venice until 1570 and, according to a letter written by his much older friend, the greatest miniaturist of the age, Giulio Clovio , was a "disciple" of Titian , who was by then in his eighties but still vigorous. This may mean he worked in Titian's large studio, or not. Clovio characterized El Greco as "a rare talent in painting". In 1570, El Greco moved to Rome, where he executed

5100-470: Is not possible to avail yourself of El Greco's language, if in using it, it is not invented again and again, by the user. To the English artist and critic Roger Fry in 1920, El Greco was the archetypal genius who did as he thought best "with complete indifference to what effect the right expression might have on the public". Fry described El Greco as "an old master who is not merely modern, but actually appears

5270-409: Is represented by many works in the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints. As recently as 2003, moreover, the collection was enhanced by the acquisition of a group of Catalan baroque altar works from César Martinell 's unique collection, which provide an interesting view of Catalan altarpiece art in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, there can be no doubt that one of the true highlights of these collections

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5440-432: Is said to lead viewers to believe that he is a person who has the power to work miracles. This piece of art can be viewed at the ( Aaron and B Lima Shickman Old Masters Galleries .) Samson and Delilah – Painted by the famous Lucas Cranach (1472 – 1553), this oil painting displayed on hard wood is one of many versions of this style of painting. In it, Philistine Delilah is cutting the hair of Samson , which displays

5610-481: Is the important body of works by Marià Fortuny , which include more than 1,500 drawings and 50 engravings, making the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints an essential reference for reconstructing the creative trajectory of this great 19th-century artist. From the same period, moreover, are more than 30 drawings by the history painter Eduardo Rosales , acquired in 1912, and linked to two of his finest and most characteristic historic compositions: The Testament of Queen Isabella

5780-474: Is the result of a long process of acquisition by purchase, donation, legacy or deposit, which began in the first half of the 19th century and continues even today. The coin collection comprises nearly 100,000 pieces, including examples from the main series minted from the 6th century BC to the present. The most important and interesting amongst these are, without doubt, the coins produced in Catalonia, which include many extremely rare and unique pieces. The visit to

5950-421: Is the supreme quest of art, but the painter achieves grace only by managing to solve the most complex problems with ease. El Greco regarded color as the most important and the most ungovernable element of painting, and declared that color had primacy over form. Francisco Pacheco , a painter and theoretician who visited El Greco in 1611, wrote that the painter liked "the colors crude and unmixed in great blots as

6120-502: The Dormition of the Virgin on Syros , an authentic and signed work from the painter's Cretan period, and the extensive archival research in the early 1960s, contributed to the rekindling and reassessment of these theories. Although following many conventions of the Byzantine icon, aspects of the style certainly show Venetian influence, and the composition, showing the death of Mary, combines

6290-621: The Luminists of the Sitges School, disciples of Fortuny. Turning now to sculpture, the Vallmitjana brothers are the most outstanding exponents of the realist tradition. Finally, the section devoted to the 19th century also includes examples from early photographic art, featuring works by A. A. Disdéri , Jean Laurent , Le Jeune and Charles Clifford , among others, featuring images of different places from all over Spanish territory. Modernisme

6460-572: The Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll , including the famous Pantocrator or Christ in Majesty, an undisputed masterpiece from the 12th century that forms tangible evidence of the creative power of Catalan painting. Beside this superb piece stands another magnificent group of works , from Santa Maria de Taüll , the most important example of the interior of a Romanesque church painted throughout, with much of its decoration conserved today. The Romanesque section ends with

6630-513: The Blaue Reiter group in Munich in 1912, El Greco typified that mystical inner construction that it was the task of their generation to rediscover. The first painter who appears to have noticed the structural code in the morphology of the mature El Greco was Paul Cézanne, one of the forerunners of Cubism . Comparative morphological analyses of the two painters revealed their common elements, such as

6800-616: The Ecce Homo , Luis de Morales , a contemporary of El Greco , Jacopo Tintoretto or The Bassano , masterfully conveyed the devotional spirit of the Counter-Reformation . The 17th century begins with the frescoes in the Herrera Chapel by Annibale Carracci and collaborators, who decorated the Church of San Giacomo degli Spagnuoli in Rome , and continues with works by other Italian artists such as

6970-534: The Flemish school are a painting by Petrus Paulus Rubens and a landscape by Salomon Jacobz van Ruysdael , whilst the Spanish Golden Age is represented by Diego Velázquez 's Portrait of Mariana of Austria . The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya modern art collection owes its origins to the 1888 Universal Exhibition , when Barcelona City Council installed what was then a modest collection of contemporary (for

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7140-630: The Institut d'Estudis Catalans (Institute of Catalan Studies). The expedition published its findings in Les pintures murals catalanes (Catalan Mural Paintings, 1907–1921). In the early 1920s many of the Pyrenean murals were moved to Barcelona as a consequence of the actions of an American art dealer in 1919. The art dealer purchased many of the frescos at the former monastery in Castell de Mur , intending to sell them for

7310-539: The Miracle of St. Ildefonso still survives on the lower center of the frame. His most important architectural achievement was the church and Monastery of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, for which he also executed sculptures and paintings. El Greco is regarded as a painter who incorporated architecture in his painting. He is also credited with the architectural frames to his own paintings in Toledo. Pacheco characterized him as "a writer of painting, sculpture and architecture". In

7480-498: The Mondoñedo Crosier . The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Gothic art collection began to take shape in the early decades of the 19th century, when a movement was first launched to revive and conserve the important body of Catalan heritage, which had been seriously damaged in the wave of convent burnings that took place at around the time of the disentailment of church goods in the year 1835. The Gothic collection features

7650-558: The Neoplatonism of the Renaissance . Jonathan Brown believes that El Greco created a sophisticated form of art; according to Nicholas Penny "once in Spain, El Greco was able to create a style of his own—one that disavowed most of the descriptive ambitions of painting". In his mature works El Greco demonstrated a characteristic tendency to dramatize rather than to describe. The strong spiritual emotion transfers from painting directly to

7820-505: The Olot School , among others. Special mention should also be made of Marià Fortuny , Catalonia's finest 19th-century painter. Fortuny's genre painting won him international acclaim, although towards the end of his short life he became interested in pictorial innovation, as can be seen in his last works. Also represented here are several painters who worked in the style of anecdotal realism , including Romà Ribera and Francesc Masriera , and

7990-493: The Venetian Renaissance style of the period, with agile, elongated figures reminiscent of Tintoretto and a chromatic framework that connects him to Titian. The Venetian painters also taught him to organize his multi-figured compositions in landscapes vibrant with atmospheric light. Clovio reports visiting El Greco on a summer's day while the artist was still in Rome. El Greco was sitting in a darkened room, because he found

8160-556: The classics of ancient Greece , and perhaps the Latin classics also; he left a "working library" of 130 volumes at his death, including the Bible in Greek and an annotated Vasari book. Candia was a center for artistic activity where Eastern and Western cultures co-existed harmoniously, where around two hundred painters were active during the 16th century, and had organized a painters' guild , based on

8330-406: The marginalia that El Greco inscribed in his copy of Daniele Barbaro's translation of Vitruvius' De architectura , he refuted Vitruvius' attachment to archaeological remains, canonical proportions, perspective and mathematics. He also saw Vitruvius' manner of distorting proportions in order to compensate for distance from the eye as responsible for creating monstrous forms. El Greco was averse to

8500-487: The paintings from San Pedro de Arlanza and the chapter house of Sigena . The latter features one of the most magnificent pictorial series in this new style, called 1200 art, which swept across Europe in the 13th century. The piece was severely damaged by fire during the Spanish Civil War and was moved to the museum for restoration in 1936. Romanesque rooms also show the techniques that distinguished Catalan art at

8670-689: The 14th to the early 20th century. It includes representative works of the Gothic and Renaissance periods, together with pieces that illustrate the perfection of the Italian Quattrocento , the sensuality of the great Venetian masters of the Cinquecento , the rising economic prosperity of the Low Countries in the 16th and 17th centuries and the magnificence of the Spanish Golden Age, without forgetting

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8840-511: The 19th century, including Josep Bernat Flaugier , Vicent Rodés , Claudi Lorenzale and Ramon Martí Alsina , as well as others by members of certain families, such as the Planella and the Rigalt lineages, who produced various generations of artists. From the preceding periods, we should highlight in particular the contribution made by the most outstanding Catalan baroque painter, Antoni Viladomat , who

9010-501: The 19th-century pieces is Marià Fortuny's Bullfight, Wounded Picador, painted in 1867. As regards the Modernista movement, several of the most important artists from this period are represented, featuring Open-Air Interior (1892) and Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem (1897), both by Ramon Casas ; Le Paon Blanc by Hermen Anglada-Camarasa ; and The Cathedral of the Poor (in which

9180-549: The 20th century. El Greco is regarded as a precursor of both Expressionism and Cubism , while his personality and works were a source of inspiration for poets and writers such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Nikos Kazantzakis . El Greco has been characterized by modern scholars as an artist so individual that he belongs to no conventional school. He is best known for tortuously elongated figures and often fantastic or phantasmagorical pigmentation , marrying Byzantine traditions with those of Western painting . Born in 1541, in either

9350-523: The Catholic and the Death of Lucrecia . The Modernista and noucentista movements are also widely represented in the Cabinet holdings. The collections include more than 600 Modernista posters by renowned Catalan and foreign artists. Among the most impressive are those by Ramon Casas , one of the most illustrious of all Modernista artists. Particularly mention should be made of the famous series of charcoal sketches,

9520-762: The Chapel of San José in Toledo (1597–1599); three paintings (1596–1600) for the Colegio de Doña María de Aragon, an Augustinian monastery in Madrid, and the high altar, four lateral altars, and the painting St. Ildefonso for the Capilla Mayor of the Hospital de la Caridad (Hospital of Charity) at Illescas (1603–1605). The minutes of the commission of The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception (1607–1613), which were composed by

9690-439: The Church of the Sagrada Familia , under construction, is seen in the background) and The Abyss. Majorca (1901–1904) by Joaquim Mir . Equally noteworthy is the presence of Noucentisme, a movement deeply rooted in Catalonia, with paintings by Joaquim Torres-García and Joaquim Sunyer , as well as works by younger artists who continued the Noucentista spirit. Finally, this journey through the history of Catalan modern art leads to

9860-476: The Italian model. In 1563, at the age of twenty-two, El Greco was described in a document as a "master" ("maestro Domenigo"), meaning he was already a master of the guild and presumably operating his own workshop. Three years later, in June 1566, as a witness to a contract, he signed his name in Greek as μαΐστρος Μένεγος Θεοτοκόπουλος σγουράφος ( maḯstros Ménegos Theotokópoulos sgouráfos ; "Master Ménegos Theotokópoulos, painter"). Most scholars believe that

10030-428: The Museu d'Art de Catalunya since 1934, was declared a national museum in 1990 under the Museums Law passed by the Catalan Government. That same year, a thorough renovation process was launched to refurbish the site, based on plans drawn up by the architects Gae Aulenti and Enric Steegmann , who were later joined in the undertaking by Josep Benedito . The Oval Hall was reopened for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games , and

10200-422: The Neapolitans Massimo Stanzione and Andrea Vaccaro . However, standing out above all these are the masterpieces from the masters of the Spanish Golden Age, such as the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew by José de Ribera , known as Lo Spagnoletto, St Paul , by Diego Velázquez , and the Immaculate Conception and several still lifes by Francisco de Zurbarán . Returning to Catalonia, in his image of St Cajetan ,

10370-538: The Numismatic Cabinet begins with the series of ancient coinage, outstanding among which are those minted on the Iberian Peninsula . These include such important pieces as the coins from the Greek colonies of Emporion and Rhode and the treasure of 897 silver pieces found at the neapolis of Emporion . Dating back to the transition period between the ancient and medieval worlds is the collection of Visigoth coins, including some minted at workshops in Catalan territory, such as Barcino , Tarraco or Gerunda . Practically all

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10540-415: The Serra brothers (the Serra family were highly influential in steering the course of Catalan painting during the closing decades of the 14th century). Sculpture during this period from the mid-14th century, was also influenced by Italian models, although the French Gothic style continued to exercise its authority. The collection includes works that may be attributed to some of the most outstanding sculptors of

10710-420: The Theotokópoulos "family was almost certainly Greek Orthodox ", although some Catholic sources still claim him from birth. Like many Orthodox emigrants to Catholic areas of Europe, some assert that he may have transferred to Catholicism after his arrival, and possibly practiced as a Catholic in Spain, where he described himself as a "devout Catholic" in his will. The extensive archival research conducted since

10880-400: The Virgin near the end of his Cretan period, probably before 1567. Three other signed works of "Domḗnicos" are attributed to El Greco ( Modena Triptych , St. Luke Painting the Virgin and Child , and The Adoration of the Magi ). It was natural for the young El Greco to pursue his career in Venice, Crete having been a possession of the Republic of Venice since 1211. Though the exact year

11050-438: The acclaimed Antoni Tàpies . The collections assembled from the museum's historic holdings to form the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Cabinet of Drawings and Prints comprise some 50,000 drawings, 70,000 engravings and more than 1,000 posters. The founds combine to offer a rich and wide-ranging journey through the most important movements in the history of Catalan art, particularly since the late 18th century, thanks largely to

11220-460: The architect Josep Maria Jujol . The second movement richly represented in the Museu Nacional modern art collection is Noucentisme , which embodies the quest for the essential spirit of the Mediterranean . The movement is represented by the classical compositions of Joaquín Torres García and Joaquim Sunyer , vaguely influenced by Cézanne , and the sculptural nudes of Josep Clarà and Enric Casanovas . Completing this review of Noucentisme are

11390-520: The arrival of Romantic sentiments in the late 18th century, El Greco's works were examined anew. To French writer Théophile Gautier , El Greco was the precursor of the European Romantic movement in all its craving for the strange and the extreme. Gautier regarded El Greco as the ideal romantic hero (the "gifted", the "misunderstood", the "mad"), and was the first who explicitly expressed his admiration for El Greco's later technique. French art critics Zacharie Astruc and Paul Lefort helped to promote

11560-440: The art forms that would develop in the 19th century, the daring works of Francesc Pla , known as El Vigatà , illustrate the painterly freedom taken when decorating the interiors of seigniorial mansions belonging to the new, wealthy classes who had made their fortunes in trade and industry. The collection, which reflects the taste of certain sections of society for Renaissance and Baroque art, features (exceptionally, if compared to

11730-430: The art of medal-making, and the examples in the Cabinet fully reflect what was a splendid creative period for the genre, particularly in Catalonia. The leading artist in the field was, without doubt, Eusebi Arnau, but such sculptors as Parera, Blay, Llimona and Gargallo also created medals of the highest quality. The central core of the MNC paper money collection, which embraces a wide range of documents of different types,

11900-581: The artist became so immersed in the religious environment of Spain that he became the most vital visual representative of Spanish mysticism ". He believes that in El Greco's mature works "the devotional intensity of mood reflects the religious spirit of Roman Catholic Spain in the period of the Counter-Reformation". El Greco also excelled as a portraitist, able not only to record a sitter's features but also to convey their character. His portraits are fewer in number than his religious paintings, but are of equally high quality. Wethey says that "by such simple means,

12070-437: The artist created a memorable characterization that places him in the highest rank as a portraitist, along with Titian and Rembrandt ". El Greco painted many of his paintings on fine canvas and employed a viscous oil medium. He painted with the usual pigments of his period such as azurite , lead-tin-yellow , vermilion , madder lake , ochres and red lead , but he seldom used the expensive natural ultramarine . Since

12240-638: The artistic journey embraced by the Cambó Bequest. When the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection was installed in the Palacio de Villahermosa in Madrid , and the state formalised the purchase in 1993, a number of the works – 72 paintings and 8 sculptures, mainly on religious themes, though also including several landscapes and portraits – were dispatched on permanent loan to Barcelona. In that same year, 1993,

12410-500: The audience. According to Pacheco, El Greco's perturbed, violent and at times seemingly careless-in-execution art was due to a studied effort to acquire a freedom of style. El Greco's preference for exceptionally tall and slender figures and elongated compositions, which served both his expressive purposes and aesthetic principles, led him to disregard the laws of nature and elongate his compositions to ever greater extents, particularly when they were destined for altarpieces. The anatomy of

12580-417: The beginning of the 20th century, scholars have debated whether El Greco's style had Byzantine origins. Certain art historians had asserted that El Greco's roots were firmly in the Byzantine tradition, and that his most individual characteristics derive directly from the art of his ancestors, while others had argued that Byzantine art could not be related to El Greco's later work. "I would not be happy to see

12750-696: The carvings in the Erill la Vall Descent from the Cross . There are also sculptures in stone that form part of the Museu Nacional Romanesque art collection, particularly a number of works from Ripoll and a large group of elements from ensembles in the city of Barcelona, including the refined marble capitals from the former Hospital de Sant Nicolau . Finally, the Romanesque section also features an important collection of enamels, mostly produced in Limoges , such as

12920-405: The center of Post-Byzantine art . He trained and became a master within that tradition before traveling at age 26 to Venice , as other Greek artists had done. In 1570, he moved to Rome, where he opened a workshop and executed a series of works. During his stay in Italy, El Greco enriched his style with elements of Mannerism and of the Venetian Renaissance taken from a number of great artists of

13090-566: The city. There he came into contact with the intellectual elite of the city, including the Roman scholar Fulvio Orsini , whose collection would later include seven paintings by the artist ( View of Mt. Sinai and a portrait of Clovio are among them). Unlike other Cretan artists who had moved to Venice, El Greco substantially altered his style and sought to distinguish himself by inventing new and unusual interpretations of traditional religious subject matter. His works painted in Italy were influenced by

13260-647: The coins minted in the modern and contemporary periods, we should mention particularly those produced in Catalonia during three important historic periods: the Reapers War , the War of the Spanish Succession and the French occupation . The medals collection is formed by more than 9,000 pieces, which range from the earliest, struck in Italy in the second half of the 15th century, to the present. The greater part of this collection

13430-514: The cold tonality of El Greco, utilizing the anatomy of his ascetic figures. While Picasso was working on his Proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon , he visited his friend Ignacio Zuloaga in his studio in Paris and studied El Greco's Opening of the Fifth Seal (owned by Zuloaga since 1897). The relation between Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and the Opening of the Fifth Seal was pinpointed in

13600-544: The content in the Catalan museum and making the works more widely known and appreciated. The collection comprises paintings and sculptures spanning European art from the Gothic to the rococo period. There are many Italian works, including, most outstandingly, paintings by Fra Angelico , Pietro da Rimini , Taddeo Gaddi , Francesco del Cossa , Bernardino Butinone , Dosso Dossi , Titian , Ludovico Carracci , Tiepolo and Canaletto , among others. Particularly fine examples from

13770-466: The contrary, the only Byzantine element of his famous paintings was his signature in Greek lettering". Nikos Hadjinikolaou states that from 1570 El Greco's painting is "neither Byzantine nor post-Byzantine but Western European. The works he produced in Italy belong to the history of the Italian art , and those he produced in Spain to the history of Spanish art". The English art historian David Davies seeks

13940-511: The country's art history from early medieval times to the mid-20th century: from Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and baroque to modern art. This heritage is completed by the Gabinet Numismàtic de Catalunya (coin and medal collections), the Gabinet de Dibuixos i Gravats (drawings and engravings) and the library. With a series of important Romanesque murals , the Romanesque collection is one of

14110-495: The cross as seen here. St. John the Evangelist – Painted by the famous El Greco (1541 – 7 April 1614), this oil painting produced in Spain was completed around the year 1604. One of Christ’s disciples, St. John the Evangelist is depicted here as a handsome young individual at a time of his following to Christ. In his hand is a cup of poison to resemble a liquid acquired from a dragon to symbolize ‘evil emerging’. His appearance

14280-537: The darkness more conducive to thought than the light of the day, which disturbed his "inner light". As a result of his stay in Rome, his works were enriched with elements such as violent perspective vanishing points or strange attitudes struck by the figures with their repeated twisting and turning and tempestuous gestures; all elements of Mannerism. By the time El Greco arrived in Rome, Michelangelo and Raphael were dead, but their example continued to be paramount, and somewhat overwhelming for young painters. El Greco

14450-666: The different doctrines of the Orthodox Dormition of the Virgin and the Catholic Assumption of the Virgin . Significant scholarly works of the second half of the 20th century devoted to El Greco reappraise many of the interpretations of his work, including his supposed Byzantinism. Based on the notes written in El Greco's own hand, on his unique style, and on the fact that El Greco signed his name in Greek characters, they see an organic continuity between Byzantine painting and his art. According to Marina Lambraki-Plaka "far from

14620-472: The distortion of the human body, the reddish and (in appearance only) unworked backgrounds and the similarities in the rendering of space. According to Brown, "Cézanne and El Greco are spiritual brothers despite the centuries which separate them". Fry observed that Cézanne drew from "his great discovery of the permeation of every part of the design with a uniform and continuous plastic theme". The Symbolists , and Pablo Picasso during his Blue Period , drew on

14790-550: The early 1960s by scholars, such as Nikolaos Panayotakis, Pandelis Prevelakis and Maria Constantoudaki, indicates strongly that El Greco's family and ancestors were Greek Orthodox. One of his uncles was an Orthodox priest, and his name is not mentioned in the Catholic archival baptismal records on Crete. Prevelakis goes even further, expressing his doubt that El Greco was ever a practicing Roman Catholic. Important for his early biography, El Greco, still in Crete, painted his Dormition of

14960-406: The early 1980s, when the stylistic similarities and the relationship between the motifs of both works were analysed. The early Cubist explorations of Picasso were to uncover other aspects in the work of El Greco: structural analysis of his compositions, multi-faced refraction of form, interweaving of form and space, and special effects of highlights. Several traits of Cubism, such as distortions and

15130-612: The early Renaissance period, the Gothic forms are found alongside other, new stylistic solutions, as exemplified, for instance, in St Candidus , by Ayne Bru or St Blaise , by Pere Fernández , works imbued with the humanist feeling and influenced by the modern composition theories that were then emerging in Italy . In the Altarpiece of St Eligius of the Silversmiths , Pere Nunyes clearly shows

15300-474: The end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina , near Pl Espanya , the museum is especially notable for its outstanding collection of romanesque church paintings, and for Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including modernisme and noucentisme . The museum is housed in the Palau Nacional , a huge, Italian-style building dating to 1929. The Palau Nacional, which has housed

15470-508: The end of his life. In 1608, he received his last major commission at the Hospital of Saint John the Baptist in Toledo. El Greco made Toledo his home. Surviving contracts mention him as the tenant from 1585 onwards of a complex consisting of three apartments and twenty-four rooms which belonged to the Marquis de Villena . It was in these apartments, which also served as his workshop, that he spent

15640-401: The enteixinats ( coffered ceilings) of noble Barcelona houses to amatory caskets. Other works in this and the following rooms, from Castile , Navarre , Aragon and Catalonia, clearly illustrate the predominance of French Gothic models, which endured until the mid-14th century, when competition was finally offered by new Italianate models. This new style, developed in the Italy of Giotto ,

15810-563: The establishment in Barcelona in 1775 of the Free School of Design and the Fine Arts. Popularly known as La Llotja , this school quickly became a reference point in the consolidation of the academic style in Catalonia. Representing the period from Neoclassicism to Realism , the Museu Nacional collections of works on paper feature a considerable number of pieces by artists linked to the school in

15980-562: The expressive distortions of El Greco. According to Franz Marc , one of the principal painters of the German expressionist movement, "we refer with pleasure and with steadfastness to the case of El Greco, because the glory of this painter is closely tied to the evolution of our new perceptions on art". Jackson Pollock , a major force in the abstract expressionist movement, was also influenced by El Greco. By 1943, Pollock had completed sixty drawing compositions after El Greco and owned three books on

16150-453: The face of one of them as well as ripping a piece of his clothing which gave him a clue to a night club. When Maximov's yacht gets blown up with all the paintings, the original theory seems confirmed. Several clues point towards Sandra as a main accomplice. However, Sandra’s partner in the investigation, Daniel, who had been nothing but helpful and affectionate turns out to be the villain in a dramatic ending scene. After Bruce and Sandra discover

16320-433: The finest exponents of International Gothic, a style that also coincided with the period when Valencia was flourishing as a centre for art. Valencia is represented in the Museu Nacional by such outstanding artists as Gonçal Peris . The Gothic collection also features examples of painting from Aragon, another region that enjoyed considerable influence at this time. The exchange of influences continued, in both directions, during

16490-869: The fore near the beginning of the 17th century and soon supplanted the last surviving traits of the 16th-century Mannerism. El Greco was deemed incomprehensible and had no important followers. Only his son and a few unknown painters produced weak copies of his works. Late 17th- and early 18th-century Spanish commentators praised his skill but criticized his antinaturalistic style and his complex iconography . Some of these commentators, such as Antonio Palomino and Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez , described his mature work as "contemptible", "ridiculous" and "worthy of scorn". The views of Palomino and Bermúdez were frequently repeated in Spanish historiography , adorned with terms such as "strange", "queer", "original", "eccentric" and "odd". The phrase "sunk in eccentricity", often encountered in such texts, in time developed into "madness". With

16660-567: The frontals of the Apostles (also known as the Frontal of La Seu d'Urgell ), Alòs d'Isil , Avià and Cardet , which are rightly considered paradigms of an original pictorial technique, embodying enormous artistic interest. Moreover, the wood carving collection completes this wide-ranging summary of Romanesque art, featuring fine works of different types, such as Virgin of Ger , the Batlló Majesty and

16830-546: The great Catalan painter working in the second half of the 15th century, made his residence definitively in Barcelona, establishing his dominance and setting up a school there. Complementing a generous selection of Huguet's works, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya also contains examples from artists active during the same period, such as Pere Garcia de Benabarre , who worked in both Aragon and Catalonia and created another successful formula based on similar cultural components. Besides this central strain in autochthonous painting,

17000-477: The history of poster art in Catalonia. Finally, though the collection is rather uneven here, mention should be made of the printed works from the avant-garde movement. The sculptor Juli González is one of the avant-garde artists most amply represented in the Cabinet, thanks to the donation of more than 150 drawings made by his daughter in 1972. On the other hand, the presence of certain great contemporary creative artists such as Dalí and Miró , to mention but two,

17170-426: The human body becomes even more otherworldly in El Greco's mature works; for The Immaculate Conception (El Greco, Toledo) El Greco asked to lengthen the altarpiece itself by another 1.5 ft (0.46 m) "because in this way the form will be perfect and not reduced, which is the worst thing that can happen to a figure". A significant innovation of El Greco's mature works is the interweaving between form and space;

17340-422: The influence of Italy, in a neutral place which was intellectually similar to his birthplace, Candia, the Byzantine elements of his education emerged and played a catalytic role in the new conception of the image which is presented to us in his mature work". In making this judgement, Lambraki-Plaka disagrees with Oxford University professors Cyril Mango and Elizabeth Jeffreys , who assert that "despite claims to

17510-527: The influence of this new language, as does the sculptor Damià Forment in his interpretation of the Apostles for the Dormition of the Virgin . Towards the end of the 16th century, Spanish painting produced many works of outstanding beauty, such as El Greco 's The Bearing of the Cross and St Peter and St Paul , enriched by modern use of colour, the fruit of the lessons the artist had learned in Venice . In this age,

17680-472: The intention of donating works by the great masters to complement the great medieval series in the Museu d'Art de Catalunya as it was then known, is the most valuable altruistic donation that the Museu Nacional has received in its history, and the one which has most served to enrich the body of Renaissance and Baroque works here. The Cambó Bequest forms a collection of paintings embraces European painting history from

17850-507: The late 11th century, doubtless as a result of the influence of the Gregorian Reform . This style is illustrated in such excellent works as the mural paintings from Sant Quirze de Pedret , Santa Maria d'Àneu and Sant Pere del Burgal . However, the rooms of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya also feature a particularly outstanding example of European Romanesque art: the remarkable, original and extraordinarily expressive paintings from

18020-441: The many large paintings required to decorate it. Titian was dead, and Tintoretto, Veronese and Anthonis Mor all refused to come to Spain. Philip had to rely on the lesser talent of Juan Fernández de Navarrete , of whose gravedad y decoro ("seriousness and decorum") the king approved. When Fernández died in 1579, the moment was ideal for El Greco to move to Toledo. Through Clovio and Orsini, El Greco met Benito Arias Montano ,

18190-478: The materialistic rendering of time, have their analogies in El Greco's work. According to Picasso, El Greco's structure is Cubist. On 22 February 1950, Picasso began his series of "paraphrases" of other painters' works with The Portrait of a Painter after El Greco . Foundoulaki asserts that Picasso "completed ... the process for the activation of the painterly values of El Greco which had been started by Manet and carried on by Cézanne". The expressionists focused on

18360-413: The missing El Greco, the audience is given some insight into Sandra’s life: She is separated from an NYPD detective, Bruce ( William Baldwin ), and they have a young daughter together, Allison ( Madison Goeres ) The couple appears to be going through a bit of a rough patch, but still seem to love each other. Sandra is able to convince her husband to watch their daughter while she’s away. Bruce is skeptical of

18530-518: The monarch: Allegory of the Holy League and Martyrdom of St. Maurice . However, the king did not like these works and placed the St Maurice altarpiece in the chapter-house rather than the intended chapel. He gave no further commissions to El Greco. The exact reasons for the king's dissatisfaction remain unclear. Some scholars have suggested that Philip did not like the inclusion of living persons in

18700-429: The most exceptional figure is Pablo Picasso , represented in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya collection since 2007. Turning now to the field of photography, we should mention such avant-garde artists as Josep Masana , Josep Batlles , Pere Català Pic and Emili Godes , as well as Agustí Centelles for his important graphic work documenting the Spanish Civil War . Finally, the new avant-garde that emerged during

18870-613: The most important in the museum. Indeed, the Museu Nacional Romanesque Collection is unmatched by any other museum in the world. Dating to the 11th to 13th centuries, many of the works originally adorned rural churches in the Pyrenees and other sites in Old Catalonia, or Catalunya Vella in Catalan. The works began to be discovered and studied in the early 20th century, particularly after a Pyrenean expedition in 1907 by

19040-571: The most outstanding Catalan neoclassical artists represented here are the painter Josep Bernat Flaugier and the sculptor Damià Campeny . In terms of Romanticism, particular mention should be made of Nazarene painters such as Claudi Lorenzale , who focussed on the portrait most notably, and Lluís Rigalt , a precursor of the Catalan landscape tradition, which was continued (now entering the Realist period) by Ramon Martí Alsina , who introduced Courbet 's ideas in Catalonia, and Joaquim Vayreda , founder of

19210-666: The murals. Hiring the Italian experts, from 1919 to 1923 they successfully intervened to detach many of the ecclesiastical frescos from the rural churches in the Pyrenees and transfer them to the Museum of Barcelona, then housed in the Parc de la Ciutadella . The Romanesque works were thus conserved and protected, and the collection is considered a unique art heritage and a symbol of the birth and formation of Catalonia . The Romanesque rooms are arranged in chronological and stylistic order, giving visitors

19380-429: The occasion of the 1888 Universal Exhibition . A project to install all these Catalan art collections in the Palau Nacional , launched in 1934 under the initiative of Joaquim Folch i Torres , the first director of Catalonia Museum of Art, was frustrated by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), when for protection many works were transferred to Olot , Darnius and Paris (where an important exhibit

19550-407: The painters who had initiated, in various ways, a re-evaluation of Michelangelo's teachings. Because of his unconventional artistic beliefs (such as his dismissal of Michelangelo's technique) and personality, El Greco soon acquired enemies in Rome. Architect and writer Pirro Ligorio called him a "foolish foreigner", and newly discovered archival material reveals a skirmish with Farnese, who obliged

19720-595: The paintings in Daniel's studio, Daniel kidnaps their daughter and sets up a meeting at a closed amusement park overlooking the sea where he arrives by helicopter with the last surviving thief (the others having been killed by him to keep his fee to himself). Daniel, in his capacity as an art professor, had been using his students to steal the art under orders from Sandra’s boss, Victor Boyd. Victor planned to frame Sandra by depositing large amounts of money in her bank accounts to make it appear as though she sold security information to

19890-622: The panorama of Gothic art also features various other important episodes, such as the time spent by Antoine de Lonhy in Barcelona, or the later, longer residence in the Catalan capital of the Cordoban artist Bartolomé Bermejo , who had previously worked in Valencia and Aragon. This journey through the late 15th century continues with such Castilian painters as Fernando Gallego , along with others from Aragon, as Martín Bernat or Miguel Ximénez , and Valencia, principally Roderic d'Osona . Finally, mention

20060-538: The period from 1995 (when the Romanesque Art section was reopened) to 2004. The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (Museu Nacional) was officially inaugurated on 16 December 2004. Since 2004, the Palau Nacional has once more housed several magnificent art collections, mostly by Catalan art, but also Spanish and European art. The works from that first museum have now been enriched by new purchases and donations, tracing

20230-599: The period that followed when artistic representation became more realistic, and which took its initial inspiration from Jan van Eyck : the Valencian artist Lluís Dalmau painted the universally acclaimed Virgin of the Consellers whilst the Catalan Joan Reixac – whose work is well represented at the Museu Nacional – directed the most prolific workshop in Valencia. It was also after a period in Valencia that Jaume Huguet ,

20400-479: The permanent exhibition of these works was officially opened in a wing of Pedralbes Monastery , converted into a museum by Barcelona City Council. In 2004, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Foundation and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya reached an agreement under which the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection of Barcelona was to be exhibited permanently at the Museu Nacional, with the dual purpose of complementing

20570-476: The perpendicular; the physician Arturo Perera, however, attributed this style to the use of marijuana . Michael Kimmelman, a reviewer for The New York Times , stated that "to Greeks [El Greco] became the quintessential Greek painter; to the Spanish, the quintessential Spaniard". Epitomizing the consensus of El Greco's impact, Jimmy Carter , the 39th President of the United States, said in April 1980 that El Greco

20740-436: The personnel of the municipality, describe El Greco as "one of the greatest men in both this kingdom and outside it". Between 1607 and 1608 El Greco was involved in a protracted legal dispute with the authorities of the Hospital of Charity at Illescas concerning payment for his work, which included painting, sculpture and architecture; this and other legal disputes contributed to the economic difficulties he experienced towards

20910-553: The post-war years is represented by Otho Lloyd and Joaquim Gomis , whose pioneering work found its continuation in the Neorealists Francesc Català-Roca , Joan Colom , Oriol Maspons and Xavier Miserachs , among others. In late 2004, to mark the opening of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, the museum received a score of Catalan art works from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection . In view of

21080-453: The power to make his will. Two Greeks, friends of the painter, witnessed this last will and testament (El Greco never lost touch with his Greek origins). He was buried in the Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, aged 73. The primacy of imagination and intuition over the subjective character of creation was a fundamental principle of El Greco's style. El Greco discarded classicist criteria such as measure and proportion. He believed that grace

21250-610: The remarkable series of the organ shutters from the Cathedral of la Seu d'Urgell , painted at the end of the 20th century by an artist from Perpignan who is known by various names, including that of the Master of La Seu d'Urgell . The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Renaissance and baroque art collection comprises pieces of priceless cultural heritage that – unlike the collections at other great national museums in Europe , which were generally built up from royal and aristocratic collections –

21420-430: The renowned El Espolio . By September 1579 he had completed nine paintings for Santo Domingo, including The Trinity and The Assumption of the Virgin . These works would establish the painter's reputation in Toledo. El Greco did not plan to settle permanently in Toledo, since his final aim was to win the favor of Philip and make his mark in his court. Indeed, he did manage to secure two important commissions from

21590-421: The rescue of his estranged wife and daughter, only to be shot by Victor after subduing Daniel. Although it appeared as though Daniel and Victor were going to make a dramatic helicopter getaway, after Victor explained that he planned to kill Sandra and her daughter, Daniel had a change of heart and tried to protect them from Victor; only to be shot. Right before his death, Daniel passed Bruce his gun and with it Bruce

21760-448: The rest of his life, painting and studying. He lived in considerable style, sometimes employing musicians to play whilst he dined. It is not confirmed whether he lived with his Spanish female companion, Jerónima de Las Cuevas, whom he probably never married. She was the mother of his only son, Jorge Manuel , born in 1578, who also became a painter, assisted his father, and continued to repeat his compositions for many years after he inherited

21930-460: The rest of the Museu Nacional collections) art produced not only in Catalonia, but also in the rest of Spain, Italy and Flanders, providing an overview of the development of European art during this period. Two later donations made important contributions to this more general vision: the Cambó Bequest and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. The collection of paintings that the Catalan politician and arts patron Francesc Cambó (1876–1947) built up with

22100-417: The rest of the world on DVD. Museu Nacional d%27Art de Catalunya The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya ( Catalan pronunciation: [muˈzɛw nəsi.uˈnal ˈdaɾd də kətəˈluɲə] ; English: "National Art Museum of Catalonia" ), abbreviated as MNAC ( Catalan: [məˈnak] ), is a museum of Catalan visual art located in Barcelona , Catalonia, Spain. Situated on Montjuïc hill at

22270-599: The richness of European Rococo . The artists represented at the Museu Nacional, thanks to this distinguished collection, include many outstanding, universally known names: great Italian painters such as Sebastiano dal Piombo , Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) and Giandomenico Tiepolo ; superb exponents of the Flemish School in the form of Peter Paul Rubens and Lucas Cranach ; Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Maurice Quentin de la Tour and their French rococo works; and, finally, Francisco de Goya , whose revolutionary genius rounds off

22440-399: The robbers. As the final scene unfolds and all of this information is revealed to the audience, we ask “Why?” As it turns out, Daniel was frustrated with his persistent failures as an artist while other artists around him flourished. He participated in this long and carefully thought-out scheme for his own revenge and Victor's promise to help him become famous. At the last moment, Bruce comes to

22610-550: The roots of El Greco's style in the intellectual sources of his Greek-Christian education and in the world of his recollections from the liturgical and ceremonial aspect of the Orthodox Church. Davies believes that the religious climate of the Counter-Reformation and the aesthetics of Mannerism acted as catalysts to activate his individual technique. He asserts that the philosophies of Platonism and ancient Neo-Platonism ,

22780-475: The ruthless Russian mobster Dimitri Maximov ( Simon Andreu ) Dimitri is portrayed as a questionable individual who seems to be scheming some sort of master plan as the art heists continue. This plays right into Sandra and Daniel’s suspicion that he is the culprit. Another El Greco is stolen during an auction that both Sandra and Daniel as well as all potential suspect attend. While in the bathroom, Sandra observes one thief escaping. After alerting Daniel, they pursue

22950-457: The sacrifice of Christ himself, was what the world would receive in return for his actions. This painting can be found in the Museo del Prado , Madrid . All the copies of el Greco has been made by the entreprise §artsfairies.co.uk whose CEO is Antonio Barrero Carro. The film was produced, filmed, and then released in Spain on July 13, 2004. On 22 March 2005, the film was released to the U.S. and to

23120-411: The sapping of his strength. You can see Samson is laying his head on Delilah’s lap motionless due to his weakness. This painting is to warn men of the pitfalls of love and how it could drain one of their powers. It also shows how women are conniving in their ways to draw in men. Old Man - Painted by the famous El Greco (1541 – 7 April 1614), this oil painting produced in Spain was completed around

23290-468: The scholars who transcribed El Greco's handwritten notes, connect the power that the painter gives to light with the ideas underlying Christian Neo-Platonism . Modern scholarly research emphasizes the importance of Toledo for the complete development of El Greco's mature style and stresses the painter's ability to adjust his style in accordance with his surroundings. Harold Wethey asserts that "although Greek by descent and Italian by artistic preparation,

23460-508: The sculptor Andreu Sala reveals himself to be a worthy follower of the Italian genius Bernini . Entering now the 18th century, Antoni Viladomat 's series of canvases devoted to the Life of St Francis, which decorated the main cloister of the former monastery of the Friars Minor in Barcelona , constitutes the only complete set of scenes from monastic life preserved in a museum. Finally, heralding

23630-427: The sculptures by Manolo Hugué and the paintings by Xavier Nogués , notably popular in tone. In around 1920, a new generation of artists emerged, one faced by the dilemma of either continuing in the figurative tradition or making the leap to the avant-garde . Some of these, such as the painters Josep de Togores and Francesc Domingo , produced work with a style of its own within the context of international realism,

23800-615: The section devoted to Modernista sculpture are the works of Miquel Blay and Josep Llimona , who were clearly influenced by Rodin. The collection of Modernista decorative arts includes some exceptional examples of interior decorative art by Josep Puig i Cadafalch , Gaspar Homar and Antoni Gaudí from, respectively, the Amatller , Lleó Morera and Batlló houses in Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia ; objets d'art in various specialities, such as ironwork, ceramics, glasswork and jewellery; not forgetting several items of furniture by Joan Busquets and

23970-476: The studio. In 1604, Jorge Manuel and Alfonsa de los Morales gave birth to El Greco's grandson, Gabriel, who was baptized by Gregorio Angulo, governor of Toledo and a personal friend of the artist. During the course of the execution of a commission for the Hospital de Tavera , El Greco fell seriously ill, and died a month later, on 7 April 1614. A few days earlier, on 31 March, he had directed that his son should have

24140-476: The suspect through Barcelona but crash into a restaurant. After waking up in the hospital, Bruce and their daughter arrive from New York. Soon after, Sandra’s life is threatened in a park where she was together with her daughter and husband. The attacker demands that she leave Spain. However, Bruce chases them away and follows them on a motorbike. Although he manages to catch up with one attacker, they eventually flee after knocking him down. However, he managed to see

24310-474: The time) modern art in the Palau de Belles Arts . This original core of the collection was considerably expanded by acquisitions made by the Council at art exhibitions. As it stands at present, the modern art collection contains a selection of the finest Catalan art from the early 19th century until the 1940s. The first part of this itinerary is devoted to the neoclassical , Romantic and realist movements. Among

24480-444: The time, Toledo was the religious capital of Spain and a populous city with "an illustrious past, a prosperous present and an uncertain future". In Rome, El Greco had earned the respect of some intellectuals, but was also facing the hostility of certain art critics . During the 1570s the huge monastery-palace of El Escorial was still under construction and Philip II of Spain was experiencing difficulties in finding good artists for

24650-401: The time, notably Tintoretto and Titian . In 1577, he moved to Toledo, Spain , where he lived and worked until his death. In Toledo, El Greco received several major commissions and produced his best-known paintings, such as View of Toledo and Opening of the Fifth Seal . El Greco's dramatic and expressionistic style was met with puzzlement by his contemporaries but found appreciation by

24820-583: The time, such as Jaume Cascalls (see Head of Christ ) and Bartomeu de Robió . Catalan sculpture in the late 14th century and the first half of the 15th is represented by two misericords from Barcelona Cathedral carved stalls by Pere Sanglada . From the 15th century, working in the new International Gothic style, Pere Oller and Pere Joan perhaps represent the peak of what was without doubt an important Catalan contribution to sculptural art. Amongst Catalan painters, Lluís Borrassà , Joan Mates , Bernat Martorell , Ramon de Mur and Joan Antigó are amongst

24990-480: The time, such as panel painting, wood carving and others that help to complete our aesthetic vision of Romanesque, such as precious metalwork and carving stone. The collection of panel paintings, unique in Europe, is another singular aspect of Romanesque painting, due both to the number and antiquity of the Catalan works conserved (the result of interest in the Romanesque since the late19th century) and to their quality and technical diversity. Particularly outstanding are

25160-521: The universal exhibitions of the period. Its façade is crowned by a great dome inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City in Rome , flanked by two smaller domes, while four towers modelled on Santiago de Compostela Cathedral stand at the corners of the so-called Sala Oval, or Oval Hall. This great space (2,300 m2), used as the venue for important civic and cultural events, is encircled by tiered seating, preceded by double columns; it also houses

25330-422: The various collections were installed and opened over the period from 1995 (when the Romanesque Art section was reopened) to 2004. The museum was officially inaugurated on 16 December 2004. It is one of the largest museums in Spain. The history of the institution dates back to the 19th century, when, in accordance with the principles that inspired Catalonia 's cultural and political Renaixença (renaissance),

25500-430: The very idea of rules in architecture; he believed above all in the freedom of invention and defended novelty, variety, and complexity. These ideas were, however, far too extreme for the architectural circles of his era and had no immediate resonance. El Greco was disdained by the immediate generations after his death because his work was opposed in many respects to the principles of the early baroque style which came to

25670-537: The village of Fodele or Candia (the Venetian name of Chandax, present day Heraklion ) on Crete , El Greco was descended from a prosperous urban family, which had probably been driven out of Chania to Candia after an uprising against the Catholic Venetians between 1526 and 1528. El Greco's father, Geṓrgios Theotokópoulos ( Γεώργιος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; d. 1556), was a merchant and tax collector . Almost nothing

25840-411: The wealth and heterogeneity of this collection, the works loaned to the Museu Nacional focus more on diversity than on unity of discourse, with the object of giving an idea, if overly concise, of the plurality of this collection. The chronological period covered by this section spans from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, one of the most brilliant moments in the history of Catalan art. Notable amongst

26010-445: The western European kingdoms are represented in the medieval Christian series, although the collections of coins from Catalonia and Aragon are the most notable. They include examples that illustrate, step by step, the historic and economic evolution of these lands. For example, the economic growth that Catalonia enjoyed in the 13th century is reflected in the minting in Barcelona for the first time of silver Peter II Croats. Finally, among

26180-410: The whole situation and worried about Sandra’s well-being. Upon her arrival at the crime scene in Barcelona, Sandra is reunited with an old colleague of hers, Daniel ( Abel Folk ), who was brought in to consult on the investigation. It quickly becomes apparent these two have a deep history and there are many secret feelings. The two of them make a great team and quickly narrow down the list of suspects to

26350-598: The works of Plotinus and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite , the texts of the Church fathers and the liturgy offer the keys to the understanding of El Greco's style. Summarizing the ensuing scholarly debate on this issue, José Álvarez Lopera, curator at the Museo del Prado , Madrid, concludes that the presence of "Byzantine memories" is obvious in El Greco's mature works, though there are still some obscure issues concerning his Byzantine origins needing further illumination. El Greco

26520-472: The year 1604. This Spanish portrait of this old man during the Late Renaissance resembles the stress this time put on many people. Having painted various styles of Christ and other religious figures, Greco this time portrays what seems to be himself as this old man. It is not proven that this is a portrait of Greco, but the characteristics in the face and style of his clothes give good indication that this

26690-524: The young artist to leave his palace. On 6 July 1572, El Greco officially complained about this event. A few months later, on 18 September 1572, he paid his dues to the Guild of Saint Luke in Rome as a miniature painter. At the end of that year, El Greco opened his own workshop and hired as assistants the painters Lattanzio Bonastri de Lucignano and Francisco Preboste. In 1577, El Greco migrated to Madrid and then to Toledo, where he produced his mature works. At

26860-416: Was "the most extraordinary painter that ever came along back then" and that he was "maybe three or four centuries ahead of his time". According to Efi Foundoulaki, "painters and theoreticians from the beginning of the 20th century 'discovered' a new El Greco but in process they also discovered and revealed their own selves". His expressiveness and colors influenced Eugène Delacroix and Édouard Manet . To

27030-671: Was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance . El Greco was a nickname, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters often adding the word Κρής ( Krḗs ), which means " Cretan " in Ancient Greek . El Greco was born in the Kingdom of Candia (modern Crete ), which was at that time part of the Republic of Venice , Italy, and

27200-705: Was a good man, but he did not know how to paint". However, despite El Greco's criticism, Michelangelo's influence can be seen in later El Greco works such as the Allegory of the Holy League . By painting portraits of Michelangelo, Titian, Clovio and, presumably, Raphael in one of his works ( The Purification of the Temple ), El Greco not only expressed his gratitude but also advanced the claim to rival these masters. As his own commentaries indicate, El Greco viewed Titian, Michelangelo and Raphael as models to emulate. In his 17th century Chronicles , Giulio Mancini included El Greco among

27370-449: Was able to kill Victor. The film ends with Sandra's family reunited. Christ Carrying the Cross – Painted by the famous El Greco (1541 – 7 April 1614), this oil painting of Christ during a time of suffering was completed in the year 1595 in Spain. In it, Greco seeks to portray the haunting immediacy and resonant with pathos. Christ’s willingness to be sacrificed shows his devotion to mankind and can be seen through his gentle grip of

27540-470: Was adopted and adapted here, working a profound transformation in painting and sculpture not only in Catalonia, but throughout the reigns forming part of the Crown of Aragon. Besides a few Italian examples, the Museu Nacional also features an important selection of Italian, Catalan and Aragonese painting, such as the Triptych of Sant Vicenç d'Estopanyà , probably by an immigrant Italian artist, and altarpieces by

27710-510: Was constructed between 1926 and 1929, with the goal of being the main building of the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition , holding an Exhibition of Spanish Art named El Arte en España (The Art of Spain). More than 5,000 works came to the Exhibition from across Spain. The Palau Nacional is a huge building (over 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft)) which embodies the academic classical style that predominated in constructions for all

27880-527: Was determined to make his own mark in Rome defending his personal artistic views, ideas and style. He singled out Correggio and Parmigianino for particular praise, but he did not hesitate to dismiss Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel ; he extended an offer to Pope Pius V to paint over the whole work in accord with the new and stricter Catholic thinking. When he was later asked what he thought about Michelangelo, El Greco replied that "he

28050-472: Was established in Catalonia through the acquisition of local pieces and later complemented by donations and acquisitions from private galleries. The itinerary begins with art from the Low Countries in the 16th century, in which religious fervour is mixed with detailed depiction of everyday life, as can be seen in the superb collection of panels and triptychs commissioned for private use. In Catalonia during

28220-508: Was established). During the postwar period, the 19th- and 20th-century collections were installed in the Museu d'Art Modern , housed from 1945 to 2004 in the Arsenal building in Barcelona's Parc de la Ciutadella , whilst the Romanesque , Gothic and baroque collections were installed in the Palau in 1942. The Palau Nacional, which has housed the Museu d'Art de Catalunya since 1934, was declared

28390-577: Was even less successful. In any case, Philip's dissatisfaction ended any hopes of royal patronage El Greco may have had. Lacking the favor of the king, El Greco was obliged to remain in Toledo, where he had been received in 1577 as a great painter. According to Hortensio Félix Paravicino , a 17th-century Spanish preacher and poet, "Crete gave him life and the painter's craft, Toledo a better homeland, where through Death he began to achieve eternal life." In 1585, he appears to have hired an assistant, Italian painter Francisco Preboste, and to have established

28560-487: Was highly esteemed as an architect and sculptor during his lifetime. He usually designed complete altar compositions, working as architect and sculptor as well as painter—at, for instance, the Hospital de la Caridad. There he decorated the chapel of the hospital, but the wooden altar and the sculptures he created have in all probability perished. For El Espolio the master designed the original altar of gilded wood which has been destroyed, but his small sculptured group of

28730-517: Was presented as the founder of the Spanish School. The same year Julius Meier-Graefe , a scholar of French Impressionism , traveled in Spain, expecting to study Velásquez, but instead becoming fascinated by El Greco; he recorded his experiences in Spanische Reise ( Spanish Journey , published in English in 1926), the book which widely established El Greco as a great painter of the past "outside

28900-487: Was these and other artists who helped to elevate Catalan painting to reach one of its most brilliant periods around the turn of the 20th century. The collection also includes works by Spanish painters, such as Julio Romero de Torres , Joaquim Sorolla , Ignacio Zuloaga , Darío de Regoyos and José Gutiérrez Solana , the photographer Ortiz-Echagüe and the French artists Boudin , Sisley and Rodin . Particularly interesting in

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