Born in 1541 in Candia (Crete). Domenikos Theotokopoulos, called El Greco started to paint during his childhood in Greece. In 1567 he moved to Venice where he became pupil of the great Venetian master Titian and studied the works by Tintoretto, Veroneso and Bassano. In 1577 he left Italy for Spain, hoping to take part to the decoration of the Escorial. In this country he obtained many commissions for churches and monasteries in Toledo and in its surroundings.The monography -- catalogue of the major international travelling exhibition opening in Madrid (3 February - 16 May 1999) and then travelling to Rome (10 June - 19 September 1999) and Athens (14 October 1999 - 17 January 2000) -- explores the various aspects of the Greek master painting and his relationship with the countries where he lived and worked, from his birthplace, to Italy (Venice, Parma and Rome) and Spain, his adoptive country where he died in 1614.
