DOMÉNIKOS THEOTOKÓPOULOS, EL GRECO (Candia, Crete, 1541

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lote/domenikos theotokopoulos el greco candia crete 1541 toledo VLLuq7X 632857284

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lote/domenikos theotokopoulos el greco candia crete 1541 toledo VLLuq7X 632857284

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DOMÉNIKOS THEOTOKÓPOULOS, EL GRECO (Candia, Crete, 1541 – Toledo

Descriptio Oil on relined canvas. Dimensions: 46 × 29 cm. The theme of Christ in agony occupies a particularly prominent place within El Greco’s religious oeuvre. The artist developed several versions and variations of the Crucified Christ, emphasizing an image of profound spirituality, stripped of secondary narrative elements and focused on the tension between physical suffering and spiritual ascension. In these compositions, Christ appears with an extraordinarily elongated body, arms outstretched, and an anatomy that seems to be freed from material weight, a device that reinforces the sense of elevation and transcendence. This conception connects with the painter’s Mannerist style and with the spirituality of Counter-Reformation Spain, in which religious imagery was meant to foster meditation, emotion, and the direct identification of the faithful with the Passion of Christ. Within this group, there are several known versions of the theme, some preserved or documented in former collections and museums, with variations in the landscape, the position of the cross, and the atmospheric treatment. José Camón Aznar devoted special attention to this series and reproduced this work in his monograph on El Greco. In this version, Christ appears suspended against a dark and stormy background, while in the lower area the city of Toledo is recognizable, rendered schematically and enveloped in a dramatic atmosphere. The inclusion of Toledo functions not only as a topographical reference but also as a spiritualized setting, integrating the painter’s adopted city within the sacred event. The work is reproduced in José Camón Aznar, Dominico Greco, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid, 1970, p. 664, fig. 546, under the title “Christ in Agony” and with provenance then indicated as a private collection in Madrid. In his commentary, Camón Aznar dates this version to around 1600 and emphasizes precisely the extraordinary sense of ascension in the figure: “the sky opens with intense flashes of light, while Christ’s body seems more to fly than to be suspended, with outstretched arms and a stylized anatomy.” The painting originally bore a signature in the lower right corner (as also noted by Aznar). The work was subsequently restored and cleaned, during which the signature, previously visible in the lower right corner, disappeared. The fact that this signature did not withstand the cleaning process and is no longer part of the preserved painted surface suggests that it was likely an apocryphal signature, added during a later intervention or at a later date than the original execution of the work. Photographs of the work both before and after restoration are shown here, allowing us to observe its previous state, the former signature visible before the intervention, and the current appearance of the painted surface. Bibliography: José Camón Aznar, Dominico Greco, 2nd corrected and enlarged edition, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid, 1970, p. 664, fig. 546, illustrated. Provenance: former private collection, Madrid. Lot in international warehouse (outside the EU). For shipments to the European Union, import duties and/or taxes will be applied and are the responsibility of the buyer.

Estimación:€250,000

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