El Soplón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids El Soplón |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Artist | El Greco |
| Year | 1571-1572 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 60.5 cm × 50.5 cm (23.8 in × 19.9 in) |
| Location | Museo di Capodimonte, Naples |
El Soplón or Boy Blowing on an Ember is a famous painting created by the artist El Greco between 1571 and 1572. He painted it with oil paints on a canvas while he was living in Rome. This artwork was inspired by an old Roman writer named Pliny the Elder and his book Naturalis historia.
El Soplón and another painting called Portrait of Giulio Clovio were some of the first artworks where El Greco focused on painting people. Later, he even used the same boy's figure in another painting called The Fable around 1580.
The Painting's History
We don't know for sure who first asked El Greco to paint El Soplón. It might have been a special request from the powerful Farnese family. For a long time, people thought that another artist, Jacopo Bassano, had influenced this painting. However, newer studies suggest that El Greco was actually trying to recreate a lost painting from ancient Rome.
Where It Has Been
This painting was once part of the important Farnese Collection, a large group of artworks owned by the Farnese family. In 1734, the painting was passed down to Charles of Bourbon and then moved to Naples, Italy. Today, you can see El Soplón at the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples.
See also
In Spanish: Muchacho encendiendo una candela para niños
- List of works by El Greco
