El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) 1541-1614
View of Toledo 1596-1600

El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect in the Spanish Renaissance. He was known as El Greco (The Greek). He was of Greek origin, and he signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters.

Doménikos was born on Crete, part of the Republic of Venice at that time. It was the centre of Post-Byzantine art. He became a master painter. At age 26 he travelled to Venice.

Doménikos’ or El Greco's expressionistic style was met with consternation by his contemporaries. They did not understand his style. His work did not become understood and appreciated until the 20th century. El Greco is regarded as an early artist of Expressionism school and even Cubism. He was truly ahead of his time.
Toledo is a municipality in Spain. It was also the religious capital of Spain at that time.

View of Toledo, is one of the two surviving landscapes painted by El Greco. The other, called View and Plan of Toledo lies at Museo Del Greco, Toledo, Spain. The sharp color contrast between the sky and the hills below are what make the paining special. View of Toledo is painted in a Mannerist or Baroque style. This is a landscape of heavenly apocalyptic power: a conversation between heaven and earth next to the cathedral spire. The scene of the town takes place at the moment before a storm. The heavens are literally at war with the setting sun against the thunderstorm that is about to happen.

The city is shown from the north east from above the Tagus river. This partial view of the city excluded the large cathedral. El Greco moved it to the left of the royal palace. This same view appears in the Saint Joseph and the Christ Child in the Capilla de San José. The painting was created in conjunction with the San José Commission (1597-99).

Buildings in the View of Toledo are also featured in many of El Greco’s works: the Laocoön (in the National Gallery of Art, Washington), the Christ in Agony on the Cross (in the Cincinnati Art Museum), and the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception (in the Museum of Santa Cruz).

View of Toledo is one of the first landscapes in Western art. View of Toledo, although the topographical details are mostly accurate; it is also a spiritual portrait of Toledo. View of Toledo is the artist’s way of acknowledging how much his inspiration is owed to the town of Toledo.

El Greco lived in Toledo for nearly forty years. View of Toledo is one of two landscapes by the artist that has survived. It is in the MET in New York City.