El Greco (Candia, Crete, 1541 - Toledo, 1614) is a colossal figure of the late Spanish Renaissance. Of cretan origin, he trained under the venetian and roman masters of the 16th century, such as Titian and Correggio.
Religious themes and portraits of the Holy Family largely characterised his output around 1600. His style is marked by strong expressionism, the use of elongated models and unrealistic, dream-like colours.
Centuries later this uniqueness, fruit of the fusion between Western and Eastern traditions, aroused the interest of artists such as Santiago Rusiñol and the Surrealists.