EL GRECO From Italy to Toledo

SUPPORT

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The support of the work by El Greco consists of two superimposed canvases. The original is a twill weave typical of the Italian Renaissance and was chosen by the painter in accordance with the fashions of the time and place in which he painted the work. Years later, in the course of restoration work, a single piece of plain-weave canvas fabric was added to the back as reinforcement.
The characteristics of the original cloth could only be revealed by X-ray imaging, as it was concealed on both sides: on the front by layers of paint, and on the back by the lining. The canvas measures 117 x 98 cm.
The adjustable stretcher is made of pine and has two diagonal crossbars to ensure that the canvas maintains the proper tension. It has a key at each point where the central crossbar meets the stretcher and double keys in the corners.