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St Lawrence’s Vision of the Virgin and Child
Ca. 1578-80
Madrid, Fundación "Casa de Alba"
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This painting shows the vision of St. Lawrence, who was the patron saint of the Escorial, Philip II’s monumental palace-monastery complex. El Greco executed this painting in an effort to secure the commission for the decoration of the Escorial. It thus dates to the early phase of his Spanish period. He employed vigorous brushwork and clear contours to model the figure of the saint. In his hand St. Lawrence holds the grate which was the instrument of his martyrdom. He gazes upwards to the vision of the Virgin and Child. The depiction of the Madonna recalls paintings by Raphael and reflects the influence of Italian art on El Greco.
At the time El Greco painted this picture, realism and naturalness were among his principal artistic goals. He wished his art to be accessible to all. The expressive sky full of clouds in the background, however, gives a hint of his style’s subsequent development.
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