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Saint Martin and the Beggar

A work made of oil on canvas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

about 1597–about 1600

Artist:

El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos)
Greek, active in Spain, 1541–1614

About this artwork

This painting is a small replica of an altarpiece for the private family chapel of San José in Toledo, Spain. The production of smaller versions of commissioned altarpieces allowed El Greco to introduce his creations to a wide market. The composition here includes elements that would have resonated with his audience: Saint Martin wears fashionable contemporary armor, and the walls of Toledo are visible in the distant background. Martin was a popular saint during the period, when acts of charity like the gift of his cloak to a beggar were promoted by the Catholic Church as necessary for earning salvation.

Status

On View, Gallery 206

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco

Title

Saint Martin and the Beggar

Place

Spain (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1597–1600

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Inscribed, lower right: Domenikos Theotokopoulos Kres epoiei [transliterated]

Dimensions

110 × 63 cm (43 5/16 × 24 13/16 in.); Original painted surface: 107.5 × 58 cm (42 5/16 × 22 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey McCormick

Reference Number

1949.1093

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/67362/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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