Santo Domingo el Antiguo Altarpiece facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santo Domingo el Antiguo Altarpiece |
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| Artist | El Greco |
| Year | 1577-1579 |
The Santo Domingo el Antiguo Altarpiece is a large and beautiful artwork created by the famous artist El Greco. He painted this altarpiece between 1577 and 1579. It was made for the Monastery of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, Spain. This was El Greco's very first big art job after he arrived in Spain. He got this important work thanks to Diego de Castilla, whom he had met in Rome.
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What is an Altarpiece?
An altarpiece is a piece of art that stands behind the altar in a church. It can be a single painting, a sculpture, or a collection of different artworks. Altarpieces are often very detailed and tell stories from the Bible or about saints. They help people focus during religious services.
El Greco's First Big Project
When El Greco started this project, he was new to Spain. This altarpiece was a huge chance for him to show his talent. The monastery asked him to create nine different paintings for the church. Seven of these paintings were for the main altar. The other two were for smaller altars on the sides.
Paintings for the Main Altar
The main altarpiece had several parts:
- A large painting at the top called The Holy Trinity.
- Another large painting below it, known as Assumption of the Virgin.
- Four smaller paintings on the sides, showing different saints. These saints were St John the Evangelist, St John the Baptist, St Bernard, and St Benedict.
- A small painting called Sudarium placed between the two main artworks.
Where Are the Paintings Now?
Today, not all of El Greco's original paintings are still in the church. Only the original paintings of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist are still there. The painting for the right-hand side altar, called Resurrection, is also still in its original place.
Many of the other original paintings are now in museums:
- The Assumption painting is at the Art Institute of Chicago.
- The Holy Trinity painting can be seen at the Prado Museum in Spain.
The paintings that are no longer in the church have been replaced by copies. This allows visitors to see what the altarpiece looked like when it was first completed.
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This wider photo shows the main altarpiece and the two side altars.
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See also
In Spanish: Retablos de Santo Domingo el Antiguo para niños
- List of works by El Greco
