Saint Lawrence's Vision of the Madonna and Child facts for kids
Saint Lawrence's Vision of the Virgin Mary is a famous painting made in 1577 by a Spanish artist named El Greco. It's an oil painting on canvas, which means it was painted with oil paints on a piece of cloth. This artwork was created early in El Greco's time living in Toledo.
Quick facts for kids Saint Lawrence's Visionof the Madonna and Child |
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| Artist | El Greco |
| Year | 1577 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 119 cm × 102 cm (47 in × 40 in) |
| Location | Colegio del Cardenal, Monforte de Lemos |
Contents
About the Painting
This painting shows Saint Lawrence, an important figure in Christian history. He is shown as a deacon, which is a church official who helps priests. Saint Lawrence is wearing a fancy robe called a dalmatic, which is decorated with beautiful patterns.
What the Painting Shows
In the painting, Saint Lawrence is holding a grill. This grill is a symbol of how he died, as he was martyred (killed for his beliefs) on a grill. He is looking up towards the sky, where he sees a vision.
The Vision of Mary and Jesus
The vision he sees is of the Madonna and Child. This means he is seeing the Virgin Mary (often called the Madonna) and her son, Jesus, as a baby. They appear to him on a cloud, looking down. This kind of vision was a common subject for paintings during El Greco's time.
Who Commissioned the Artwork
This painting was specially ordered by a man named Rodrigo de Castro. He was a very important person, serving as an inquisitor and also as an archbishop of Seville and a bishop of Cuenca. This painting is special because El Greco didn't often get private requests like this during his early years in Toledo.
Where to See the Painting Today
Today, you can find Saint Lawrence's Vision of the Virgin Mary in the Colegio del Cardenal. This building is located in a place called Monforte de Lemos in Spain.
El Greco's Artistic Style
El Greco was a unique artist known for his dramatic and emotional paintings. He often used bright colors and stretched out figures, which made his art very recognizable.
Influences on El Greco
When El Greco painted Saint Lawrence's Vision of the Virgin Mary, he had just moved to Spain from Italy. During his time in Italy, he learned a lot from other famous artists.
- Titian: El Greco was influenced by Titian, a master of color and light from Venice. You can see how El Greco uses color in this painting.
- Michelangelo: Michelangelo was famous for his powerful sculptures and paintings, especially of human figures. El Greco learned about creating strong, dramatic compositions from him.
These influences helped El Greco develop his own special style, which you can see in this painting and many of his other works.
See also
In Spanish: Aparición de la Virgen a san Lorenzo (El Greco) para niños
- List of works by El Greco
