Greek-born Spanish Mannerist Painter, 1541-1614
Considered a representative of late Renaissance Spanish art, El Greco was actually born in Greece, on the island of Crete. After studying in Venice under Titian, El Greco settled in Toledo, Spain in 1577. At the time he was wildly popular, his emotionally religious paintings being just the ticket for the hometown of the Spanish Inquisition. After his death his work was largely ignored until the beginning of the 20th century; now he considered one of the inspired geniuses of Western art. His distinctive style features bold shapes and colors, with elongated and slightly distorted figures.
In Toledo El Greco was in constant demand and liked living large: he maintained a private orchestra to accompany his meals. Related Paintings of El Greco :. | St John the Evangelist | An Elderly Gentleman | Portrait of Jorge Manuel Theotocopoulos | Christ Healing the Blind | The Entombment of Christ | Related Artists:
Francis BaconEnglish , 1561-1626
British statesman and philosopher, father of modern scientific method. He studied at Cambridge and at Gray's Inn. A supporter of the Earl of Essex, Bacon turned against him when Essex was tried for treason. Under James I he rose steadily, becoming successively solicitor general (1607), attorney general (1613), and lord chancellor (1618). Convicted of accepting bribes from those being tried in his court, he was briefly imprisoned and permanently lost his public offices; he died deeply in debt. He attempted to put natural science on a firm empirical foundation in the Novum Organum (1620), which sets forth his scientific method. His elaborate classification of the sciences inspired the 18th-century French Encyclopedists, and his empiricism inspired 19th-century British philosophers of science. His other works include The Advancement of Learning (1605),
Carle Vanloo French Painter, 1705-1765,was a French subject painter, and a younger brother of Jean-Baptiste van Loo. He was the most famous member of a successful dynasty of painters of Dutch origin. His oeuvre includes every category: religion, history, mythology, portraiture, allegory, and genre scenes. was a French subject painter, and a younger brother of Jean-Baptiste van Loo. He was the most famous member of a successful dynasty of painters of Dutch origin.
Francois Joseph KinsonFrançois-Joseph Kinson (1771-1839) was a Flemish painter.
Kinson attended art school at Bruges and soon established a reputation in Ghent and Brussels. He exhibited a portrait in Paris in 1799. Settling in Paris after the exhibition, the artist courted the favor of the rich and famous of the time. Kinson worked for Napoleones court and eventually became court painter to Jerôme Bonaparte, King of Westphalia. Kinson is best remembered for his portraits of elegant women. The artist worked as a court painter in Paris until 1830, and died in 1839 at the age of 68.