El Greco

1541 – 1614

El Greco
Renaissance
Renaissance

El Greco

Born 1541 Died 1614 Works span 1560–1614

The Cretan Foundation Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known to history as El Greco, began his life in 1541 on the island of Crete. At that time, the island was a Venetian possession, a fact that would later allow him to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western traditions. He was trained as an icon painter within the Byzantine tradition, a discipline that demanded a meticulous attention to detail and a focus on the spiritual essence of a su…

608
dated works
323
chapters
1560
first work
1614
last work
Chronological Journey

The Lifeline

Scroll through El Greco's working life — artwork by artwork, chapter by chapter — from the earliest dated work to the last. Each thumbnail is pinned at its exact year on the gold axis.

Drag or scroll to travel through time

Chapters — Career Periods

The ribbon is divided into shaded bands, one per career chapter. Each chapter groups El Greco's works by their historical period — early training, mature practice, final years.

Thumbnails — Dated Works

Every thumbnail is pinned at its precise creation year. A thin gold thread drops from the image to its exact point on the axis. Larger frames mark the artist's masterpieces by rank.

Colour Band — Movement Drift

The gradient bar beneath the axis shifts colour as the dominant art movement changes over time — from the warm golds of the early period through the deeper tones of maturity. It fills progressively as you scroll.