Artist

Greek Artwork

Our Greek art prints begin with El Greco, the Cretan painter who made Toledo his home, and continue with the Greek painters of the 19th century who trained in Munich, Paris and Brussels. You'll find El Greco's saints and his famous view of Toledo, Théodore...Read more

Our Greek art prints begin with El Greco, the Cretan painter who made Toledo his home, and continue with the Greek painters of the 19th century who trained in Munich, Paris and Brussels. You'll find El Greco's saints and his famous view of Toledo, Théodore Ralli's scenes of Greek and Eastern life, Périclès Pantazis's beaches and Nikolaos Gyzis's family scenes, 192 fine art prints in all.

About Greek Art Prints

Doménikos Theotokópoulos (1541–1614), known as El Greco, was born on Crete, then ruled by Venice, and trained there as an icon painter in the post-Byzantine tradition. At 26 he went to Venice, then to Rome in 1570, and finally settled in Toledo, Spain, where he painted his greatest works. He kept his Greek name and often added the word "Cretan" to it.

Modern Greek painting took shape after independence, around the Athens School of Fine Arts. Many of its best students went on to the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, giving their name to the Munich School. Nikolaos Gyzis (1842–1901), from the island of Tinos, settled in Munich for good and became a professor there in 1886. Georgios Jakobides (1853–1932) spent 17 years in Munich, then returned to found the National Gallery of Greece.

Others looked to France and Belgium. Périclès Pantazis (1849–1884) studied with Courbet in Paris and moved to Brussels in 1873 with a letter of introduction from Manet. Théodore Ralli (1852–1909), from a wealthy Greek merchant family in Constantinople, worked in Paris, Greece and Cairo. In the 20th century, Konstantinos Maleas brought Post-Impressionist colour to Greek landscapes.

Style and Subjects

El Greco is unmistakable: elongated figures, bold unmixed colour and a dramatic, almost expressionist energy that made him a forerunner of modern art. He set out to dramatize rather than describe, so his saints and apostles carry strong spiritual emotion, and his views of Toledo turn a real city into a vision.

The 19th-century painters are calmer. Gyzis and Jakobides painted warm family scenes; Jakobides was best known for his pictures of children. Ralli painted Greek churches, monasteries and village weavers as well as Eastern interiors. Pantazis, who knew the work of Boudin and the Impressionists, painted the beaches and dunes of the Belgian coast, and Maleas brought Post-Impressionist colour to island villages and olive groves.

Famous Works

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, El Greco (1586), Church of Santo Tomé, Toledo. A local legend in two halves, earth below and heaven above; often called the summit of his art.
View of Toledo, El Greco, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. One of his two surviving landscapes, with one of the most famous skies in Western art.
View and Plan of Toledo, El Greco (c. 1608), El Greco Museum, Toledo. The city laid out beside a map of its streets, with the river Tagus shown as a figure.
Laocoön, El Greco (1610–1614), National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. The Trojan priest and his sons attacked by sea serpents, a rare mythological subject for El Greco.
Refectory In A Greek Monastery (Mount Athos), Théodore Ralli. Monks at table, from Ralli's 1885 visit to the monasteries of Mount Athos.
At the beach, Ostend, Périclès Pantazis. The Belgian seaside, painted in the years Pantazis lived in Brussels.
The Suffering of the Grandfather, Georgios Jakobides. A family scene with children, the subject that made Jakobides famous.

Decorating with Greek Art Prints

El Greco's paintings are intense, so give one a wall of its own, in a hallway, study or dining room with deep colours or dark wood. His views of Toledo suit a living room and pair well with stone, iron and leather.

For something lighter, Pantazis's beaches and Maleas's island scenes bring air and sunlight to a bedroom or bathroom. Gyzis's and Jakobides's family scenes are warm choices for a family room or a grandparent's home.

FAQ

Was El Greco Greek?

Yes. He was born Doménikos Theotokópoulos on Crete in 1541 and trained as an icon painter before moving to Venice, Rome and finally Toledo in Spain. "El Greco" simply means "the Greek."

What is El Greco's most famous painting?

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586), still in the church of Santo Tomé in Toledo, is often called his finest work. View of Toledo, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is his most famous landscape.

What was the Munich School in Greek art?

The main Greek art movement of the 19th century, named after the Munich academy where many Greek painters trained. Nikolaos Gyzis was its leading figure.

Where can I see Greek paintings?

El Greco's works are in Toledo, New York, Washington and many other cities. For 19th-century Greek art, the National Gallery of Greece in Athens, founded by Georgios Jakobides, is the place to go.

Who was Périclès Pantazis?

An Athens-born painter who worked in Brussels and became one of Greece's leading Impressionists. He belonged to the Belgian avant-garde group Les XX and died at 34.