El Greco Museum, Toledo facts for kids
| Museo del Greco | |
View of the Museum
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| Location | Toledo, Spain |
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| Type | Single-artist museum |
| Official name: Casa y Museo del Greco | |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 1 March 1962 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0001411 |
The El Greco Museum (which in Spanish is called Museo del Greco) is a special museum in Toledo, Spain. It's all about the amazing artist El Greco. He was born in Fodele, Crete, in 1541, but he lived and worked in Toledo for most of his life until 1614. This museum helps us learn about his art and his life. It's one of Spain's important national museums.
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Exploring the Museum
The El Greco Museum first opened its doors in 1911. You can find it in the old Jewish Quarter of Toledo. The museum is made up of two main parts. One part is a house from the 1500s with a lovely courtyard. The other part is a building from the early 1900s that holds the main museum exhibits. There's also a beautiful garden to explore.
The old house is designed to look like El Greco's own home, even though his original house no longer exists. Inside the museum, you'll see many of El Greco's paintings. Many of these are from his later years as an artist. The museum also displays art by other Spanish artists from the 1600s. You can also see furniture from that time and pottery from Talavera de la Reina.
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The museum entrance
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The peaceful courtyard
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Artworks to Discover
The museum has many incredible artworks. The most famous are the paintings by El Greco himself.
The Apostolado Series
One of the most important collections is called the Apostolado. This is a complete set of 13 paintings. El Greco and his workshop created them between 1610 and 1614. They were originally made for a hospital in Toledo.
- What is it? The series shows Jesus Christ and his 12 closest followers, called disciples.
- How is it arranged? Jesus looks straight out of the painting. Six of the disciples look to the left, and the other six look to the right.
- Who are the figures? The paintings show the 12 original disciples. However, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, is replaced by Saint Paul in this series.
- Details: All these paintings are oil on canvas. Each one is about 97 centimeters tall and 77 centimeters wide.
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A view of the gallery where the Apostolado series is displayed
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Christ as Saviour
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Saint Peter
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Saint Paul
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St John the Evangelist
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Saint James the Greater
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Saint Bartholomew
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Saint Thaddeus (Jude)
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Saint Simon
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Saint Matthew
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Saint Thomas
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Saint Philip
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Saint James the Less
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Saint Andrew
Other Important Artworks
Besides the Apostolado, the museum has more paintings by El Greco. It also features works by other Spanish artists.
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Coronation with Thorns and Abuse, by the Master of La Sisla, painted between 1450 and 1510
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The Tears of Saint Peter, by El Greco, painted between 1587 and 1596
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Portrait of Diego de Covarrubias y Leiva, by El Greco, painted around 1600
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View and Plan of Toledo, by El Greco, painted in 1608
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The Disrobing, by Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli, around 1606
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Tears of Saint Peter, by Francisco de Zurbarán, around 1633
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A 17th-century scene of a public event in a Spanish square, by the Madrid School, 1656
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Christ gathering up his robes, by Jerónimo Jacinto de Espinosa, from the 17th century
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More to Learn
- Museum of El Greco, Fodele, Crete (This is where El Greco was born!)
- List of works by El Greco
- List of single-artist museums
See also
In Spanish: Museo del Greco para niños
