The Cretan artist El Greco born in crete

Details:
El Greco (1541-1614).Cretan-born painter, sculptor, and architect who settled in Spain and is regarded as the first great genius of the Spanish School. He was known as El Greco (the Greek), but his real name was Domenikos Theotocopoulos; and it was thus that he signed his paintings throughout his life, always in Greek characters, and sometimes followed by Kres.Little is known of his youth, and only a few works survive by him in the Byzantine tradition of icon painting, notably the recently discovered Dormition of the Virgin (Church of the Koimesis tis Theotokou). In 1566 he is referred to in a Cretan document as a master painter; soon afterwards he went to Venice (Crete was then a Venetian possession), then in 1570 moved to Rome. El Greco excelled also as a portraitist, mainly of ecclesiastics (Felix Paravicino, Boston Museum, 1609) or gentlemen, although one of his most beautiful works is a portrait of a lady (Pollock House, Glasgow, c. 1577-80), traditionally identified as a likeness of Jeronima de las Cuevas, his common-law wife. He also painted two views of Toledo (Met. Museum, New York, and Museo del Greco), both late works, and a mythological painting, Laocoon (National Gallery, Washington, c. 1610), that is unique in his oeuvre. The unusual choice of subjects is perhaps explained by the local tradition that Toledo had been founded by descendants of the Trojans. El Greco also designed complete altar compositions, working as architect and sculptor as well as painter, for instance at the Hospital de la Caridad, Illescas (1603). Pacheco, who visited El Greco in 1611, refers to him as a writer on painting, sculpture, and architecture. He had a proud temperament, conceiving of himself as an artist-philosopher rather that a craftsman, and had a lavish life-style, although he had little success in securing the royal patronage he desired and seems to have had some financial difficulties near the end of his life.Some of his most beautiful and popular works are: View of Toledo (1597), El Espolio (1577-79), The Adoration of the Shepherds (1612-14), The Annunciation, Christ on the Cross Adored by Donors (1585-90), St. Martin and the Beggar (1597-99), Madonna and Child with St. Martina and St. Agnes (1597-99), Baptism of Christ (1597-1600), The Repentant Peter (1600), Portrait of a Cardinal (1600), Saints John the Evangelist and Francis (1600), Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple (1600), Christ Carrying the Cross (1600-05), Laocoon (1610), The opening of the Fifth Seal of the Apocalypse (1608-14), Baptism of Christ (1608-14).