El Greco's Espolio
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Introibo ad Altare Dei: El Greco’s ‘Espolio’ in the Context of Church and State in Post-Tridentine Spain By ROBERT FRANCIS SWAIN A thesis submitted to the Department of Art in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Queen’s University Kingston Ontario Canada August, 2011 Copyright © Robert Francis Swain, 2011 Abstract In the vestry of the cathedral church of Santa Maria in Toledo hangs a large painting by El Greco entitled El Espolio, the ‘Disrobing of Christ’. Executed shortly after his arrival in Spain the painting marks a major stylistic departure from the artist’s earlier work and would command attention on that basis alone. The subject, while iconographically obscure, is, at another remove, utterly familiar as a Passion scene tied to a well known iconographical canon. Compositionally, the Christ figure predominates but the ‘legionnaire’ occupies a contrasting and almost equivalent space in his carapace of steel. These figures beg for further elaboration I will argue that this painting can be read as a nexus between a reformed liturgy and a post-Tridentine programme of Church renewal in Spain allied to a monarchical programme of nación under Philip II (1527-98) that was essentially one and the same. The salient questions needing a response are these: How, in a vestry, can we expect such a subject to have much impact beyond the very limited audience it was designed for? This is the crux of the matter in many ways. What in the painting suggests more than the straightforward analysis of the subject matter? What in the times suggests another reading of this great work of art? The pursuit of the answers to these questions constitutes the driving force behind this investigation. Biography, the intellectual and artistic formation of the artist, are positioned with reference to the intellectual ferment of the period, the religious upheaval ii in Christendom, the advances in the understanding of the nation state. More specifically, the altered relationship between the monarchy and the church in Spain, following the Council of Trent (1545-63)will be shown to have a reflection in El Espolio. El Greco’s work has mostly been treated as the product of a painter of the spirit, of religiosity, even of mysticism. El Espolio has been interpreted here within a broader frame of reference and the argument suggests our understanding of El Greco’s oeuvre has been somewhat narrow. Introibo ad Altare Dei: El Greco’s Espolio iii Acknowledgements My time writing this paper has fallen into a part of my life which saw many changes none of which were happy. But undertaking the programme of research required to put something down on paper, even, at times, the writing of it, was a great joy. And, while some of the territory was familiar to me, much of it was not, and I beheld many horizons with exciting prospects. My respect for scholars has increased immeasurably. Traditionally this is the place where one gives thanks to those who have helped and to heap blame on oneself for any remaining infelicities in the ‘magnum opus’ and this I happily acknowledge. It is not always the case that it is more joyous to give than receive for I have received much help, it has given me joy and I am very grateful. However, I do wish to be explicit in my gratitude. We, at Queen’s are blessed with a dedicated support staff. Several encounters over the years in the Registrar’s office and the School of Graduate studies have given me great encouragement at which those giving it could hardly guess. The Librarians, from interlibrary loan to the circulation desk to Special Collections, have assisted, once a smile is offered and [sometimes not], in my researches with patience and committed service I simply could not have completed this task without them. They are my heroes. I owe special thanks to Joanne Rotermundt-de la Parra of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures who smoothed out my raw translations. She responded to my request for assistance with great dispatch. I was very impressed. iv On the academic side both Dr. Pierre du Prey and the late Dr. Vojtech Jirat-Wasiutinski gave me frank advice at critical points in my progamme. In my supervisor, Dr. Sebastian Schütze, I could not have asked for a more open and sympathetic colleague. We had several conversations enjoying café mocha in Ontario Hall, others on the deck at his house and lately, via e-mail from Vienna discussing what seemed initially a somewhat tendentious proposal for research on El Greco. He helped strengthen the argument and straighten the paths for this writer who tends to circularity in his prose. Friendship is difficult to define. It is instantly recognizable when one receives it, though. Devin Therien, a new friend I found at Queen’s and Michael Bell an old friend and former colleague have assisted in countless ways beyond the critical, but truly essential readings of the various screeds I sent their way. Both helped me kick-start the process and kept me on track. Both gave of their technical knowledge and spent late hours over the ’phone asking the right questions, forcing me to do the same, and denying me access to the many research diversions with which I was regularly tempted. Gratitude is weak in the face of their support and generosity. Lastly, my darling wife Wendy, who has suffered much loss of her own over the course of my studies, still found it within herself to forgive my absences and obsessions. Rooms with piles of books, anxieties over the keyboard, quickly consumed meals, the inevitable spats with the computer…the list goes on, these were among her trials and she bore them with grace and love. v Her support has meant everything and I offer her these efforts and dedicate this work to her with my abiding love. vi Table of Contents Abstract . ii Acknowledgements . iv List of Figures . viii Chapter One: Introduction . 1 Chapter Two: The Literature . 4 Chapter Three: The Painting: El Espolio . 11 Chapter Four: The Artist . 50 Chapter Five: State and Church in El Greco’s Spain . 64 Chapter Six: Kingship: Myth, Propaganda and Political Theory . 94 Chapter Seven: Conclusion or What the Archbishop Saw . 110 Bibliography . 118 Appendix 1 . 131 vii List of Figures* Figure 1: Portrait of the artist detail from El Intierro del Conde de Orgaz. x Figure 2: El Espolio, 1577-1579. oil on canvas, 2.85m. x 1.73m.Toledo, xi Cathedral Sacristy. Figure 3: Plan of Toledo Cathedral . xii Figure 4a: View of the Sacristy of Toledo Cathedral. xiii Figure 4b: Alternate view of the Sacristy . xiv Figure 5: Predella to El Espolio. Toledo Cathedral. xv Figure 6: Burial of the Count of Orgaz, 1586-1588. detail of the ‘frieze’. xvi Figure 7: El Espolio, detail of the crowd. xvii Figure 8: Risen Christ, 1514-1520, by Michelangelo Buonarroti. marble, xviii 205cm. ht. Rome, Sta. Maria sopra Minerva . Figure 9: Risen Christ, ca. 1595-1598. painted wood, .45m. ht. Toledo, xix Hospital of St. John the Baptist. Figure 10: Baptism, 1596-1600. oil on canvas, 3.50m. x 1.44m. Madrid, Prado xx Figure 11: Martyrdom of St. Maurice, 1580-1582. oil on canvas, 4.48m. x xxi 3.01m. Escorial, Chapter House. Figure 12: Burial of the Count of Orgaz, 1586-1588. oil on canvas, 4.80m. x xxii 3.60m. Toledo, Church of Santo Tomé. Figure 13: Portrait of Fray Hortensio Felix Paravicino, c.1609. oil on canvas, xxiii 1.13m. x 0.86m. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts. Figure 14a: The Dormition of the Virgin, [before 1567] tempera and gold on xxiv panel. 61.4cm. x 45cm. Syros, Holy Cathedral of the Dormition Church. Figure 14b: The Dormition of the Virgin, detail of ‘classical statues’. xxv Figure 15a: Modena Tryptich, c.1568-1569. oil on panel, 24 cm. x 18 cm. xxvi approx., each panel Modena, Galleria Estense. Figure 15b: Modena Triptych, (rear) detail . xxvi Figure 16: Angel Pietá, (1566). icon. Athens, Velimezis Collection. xxvii Figure 17: Emperor Charles V at Muhlberg, 1548, by Titian. oil on canvas, xxviii 332cm. x 279cm . Figure 18: Philip II in armour , 1550-1551, by Titian. oil on canvas, 193cm. x xxix 111cm. Madrid, Prado. Figure 19: The Emperor Charles V restraining Fury, 1550-1553, by Leone xxx Leoni. bronze, 174cm. ht. viii Figure 20: Monstrance, 1517-1524, by Enrique de Arfe. gilded silver. Toledo, xxxi Cathedral of Sta Maria . Figure 21: Portrait of Diego de Covarrubias (posth), c.1600. oil on canvas, xxxii 0.67m. x 0.44m. Toledo, Museo El Greco . Figure 22: Portrait of Antonio de Covarrubias, c.1600-1602. oil on canvas. xxxiii .65m. x .52m. Paris, Louvre. Figure 23: The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, detail of the figure reported to be xxxiv of Jorge Manuel . * All works are by El Greco unless otherwise indicated. ix Figure 1 Portrait of the artist detail from El Intierro del Conde de Orgaz. x Figure 2 El Espolio, 1577-1579. oil on canvas, 2.85m. x 1.73 m. Toledo, Cathedral Sacristy. xi Figure 3 Plan of Toledo Cathedral xii Figure 4a View of the Sacristy of Toledo Cathedral. xiii Figure 4b Alternate view of the Sacristy. xiv Figure 5 Predella to El Espolio. Toledo Cathedral. xv Figure 6 Burial of the Count of Orgaz, 1586-1588. detail of the ‘frieze’. xvi Figure 7 El Espolio, detail of the crowd. xvii Figure 8 Risen Christ, 1514-1520, by Michelangelo Buonarroti. marble, 205 cm. ht. Rome, Sta. Maria sopra Minerva xviii Figure 9 Risen Christ, ca.