The Assumption of the Virgin

The Assumption of the Virgin by El Greco: The Assumption of the Virgin was the central image of El Greco’s first major commission, an altarpiece for the Church…

What to notice

Trace the Virgin’s upward movement from the crowded apostles to the burst of light above; elongated bodies and tilted space make the ascent feel continuous.

Discover

The Assumption of the Virgin was the central image of El Greco’s first major commission, an altarpiece for the Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, a convent in Toledo, Spain. The painting’s subject, the raising of the Virgin Mary’s body into heaven, relates to the function of the church as the funerary monument of a wealthy noblewoman, Doña Maria de Silva; the iconography of the entire commission focuses on death and salvation. El Greco used broad, free brushwork, flickering hues, rich color harmonies, and bold fi…