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Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco

Saint Martin and the Beggar

c. 1597–c. 1600
Oil on canvas
110 × 63 cm (43.3 × 24.8 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago — check current display status with the museum.

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This painting is a small replica of an altarpiece for the private family chapel of San José in Toledo, Spain. Producing smaller versions of commissioned altarpieces allowed El Greco to introduce his creations to a wider market. The composition here includes elements that would have resonated with his audience: Saint Martin wears fashionable, contemporary armor, and the walls of Toledo are visible in the distant background. Martin was a popular saint during the period, when the Catholic Church was promoting acts of charity like the gift of his cloak to a beggar as necessary for earning salvation.

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