However, since19th century, some critics, painters and collectors discovered his works, Al greco has become the object of artists' eternal attachment. French painter Delacroix collected his undressed Christ, American painter Sargent bought his version of Saint Martin and the Beggar, and French painter Cezanne copied his portrait A Lady in a Fur Coat.
Picasso is also his fan. Les demoiselles d'Avignon, one of Picasso's most famous works, was influenced to some extent by Al greco's Opening of the Fifth Seal. Picasso even imitated Al greco's "Earl's Funeral of Orgas" in his later years, but the difference is that he replaced the Earl with a roast chicken and replaced Al greco's self-portrait with Picasso's favorite image of wearing a striped coat.
In 1930s, Jackson Pollock, an abstract expressionist painter, also studied Al greco. His sketch book is full of anatomical paintings, clothing patterns and religious scenes, which laid the foundation for his creation of dripping paintings. Al greco has always influenced a large number of contemporary painters. John green, a painter from new york, remembers his first trip to the museum, when he was 10 years old, and he went to the Metropolitan Museum to see The Opening of the Fifth Seal.
"That has a great influence on me," said Mr. Green, an enthusiastic figurative painter. "These paintings are so shocking and dazzling."
Al greco's works have been in the United States for 20 years. The first large-scale exhibition will be held in 654381October 7 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States. This exhibition is jointly organized by the Metropolitan Museum of London and the National Gallery of Britain. More than 80 works from all over the world will be exhibited here until June 65438+1October 65438+1October 0 1, and then continue to be exhibited in Britain in February. This exhibition will unveil the mystery of Domenikos Theotokopoulos, who is usually called the name Al greco and has been used for the past 20 years. This exhibition will explore all aspects of his works, especially his last mysterious works.
"The most important thing in this exhibition is not only to see a series of works by Al greco, but also to see how such a master has influenced modern art," said Keith Christensen, head of the European Painting Department of the Metropolitan Museum and one of the main directors of this exhibition. "We want people to see the eternal value of these works and how ancient works and contemporary works produce * * * sounds."
In order to highlight this point, the organizers arranged a series of enlarged versions of the 20th century artists' comments on Al greco. It also includes some photos of the works of 19-20 century famous artists, such as Cezanne, Thomas Haute Banton, Picasso, etc. In the Robert Woods Johnson Gallery next door to the Metropolitan Museum, five Pollock works will be exhibited at the same time, most of which are based on Al greco's works.
The last exhibition of Al greco's works in the United States was at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., from 65438 to 0982. 1983, the artist's complete signature was first presented to the world after the restoration workers cleaned up the religious masterpiece Sleeping of the Virgin in the Siros Island Church. Although some scholars believe that Al greco was born in Crete in southern Greece and later moved to Spain, these should belong to his early works, but this discovery confirms and shows that these are his mural works. This mural depicts the Virgin Mary and Jesus surrounded by a group of teachers and students. This mural and two other murals by Al greco will be exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum for the first time, and these works will be put at the forefront. People will see a series of works until the portrait of Jesus being crucified, which is an immortal masterpiece borrowed from the Louvre.
Although most works are arranged in chronological order, there are some exceptions. Among them, the three versions of the work "The Boy Blows Out the Unburned Charcoal and Lights the Candle" are compared together for the first time. One is the collection of Capodimonti National Museum in Naples, Italy, which began in 1950s in 14. The other is from Harwood Palace in Yorkshire, England, which began in the 1970s at 14. The third painting, from the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, began in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 14.
"I especially want to mention the author's painting method, that is, draw an outline first, and then constantly reshape it in the later painting career." Christensen said.
The National Gallery of Britain in London offered to co-host the exhibition. The special director of this exhibition, david davies, an Al greco scholar from London, wants to co-host this exhibition, mainly because many excellent works of Al greco are all over the United States.
Christensen said, "People who collect impressionist works will definitely collect Al greco's works."
Roizen Harvey Meyer is one of them. He was a major collector in the early 20th century and the most important patron of this exhibition. 190 1 year, she went to Spain and visited the Onete Palace in Madrid with cassatt. There, she first saw a huge portrait of the famous cardinal Nino Guevara. He wore a crimson robe, black-rimmed eyes and a dull expression. Three years later, she bought this work and gave it to the exhibition organizing committee at 1929.
Scholars generally believe that this portrait is a milestone in European portrait painting. "You will feel that you are standing in front of a solemn judge," Christensen said. "This kind of seriousness is not the appearance, but the shaping of expression and character. This is a spiritual portrait. "
Every gallery has Al greco's ethereal and illusory works. Inexplicable dark scenery, cloudy sky, colorful religious pictures. A technician opened the cover of "Worship of the Name of Jesus" for us, revealing a colorful canvas and exclaiming, "He used up all the colors."
Other works have a distorted, grotesque and mysterious style.
"The potential of these works is immeasurable." Contemporary figurative painter Lisa Juska Wager said. "These works are clumsy in taste. He is such a clear-headed person, so whether this clumsiness is wrong or has other profound meanings can only be guessed by all of us. "