EL GRECO From Italy to Toledo

X-RAY IMAGE

Click on the specific area to see the details.

Face
It is a treat to observe the freedom with which El Greco painted this work, and how he executed a quasi-Impressionist face with swift, sure, loose brushstrokes. Making hardly any changes, he made the dark background come alive with vigorous lines of light, managing in a few deft strokes to create the perspective of a face so elongated that its dimensions would seem impossible if executed by any other painter, and yet in El Greco are truly brilliant.

Ear
The artist made minor alterations in the placement of the ear, moving it to the proper position for a face in three-quarter view. Beside the ear we see old damage to the original paint layer, which appear on the X-ray image as dark areas.