According to a report from Greek Reporter, a Crete religious icon is believed to be an early work of master painter El Greco. The work was discovered in a church outside Chania, according to the news.
Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos, the famous painter said to have been born in the tiny village of Fodele, outside of Heraklion, one of the most renowned artists in history. Not many people realize the true greatness of this amazing artist. For instance, it is not widely known, but El Greco was highly esteemed as an architect and sculptor during his lifetime.
The icon of Saint Ekaterini is in the church at the village of Tsivaras Apokoronas, 17 kilometers (10 miles) east of Chania. Byzantine history expert Michalis Andrianakis had this to say about the discovery at a recent archaeology conference:
“The icon was located at the apron of the temple of the church which was built in the 1880s. It was cut in half so it would fit on the temple and the bottom part where the signature of the artist would have been was discarded. Several elements (of the icon) are specific to Theotokopoulos’ artistic idiom, both in his early and later works.”
Andrianakis went on to add a note of caution to the media for overstating the case of the new find. The expert says there is a lot more scientific work to be done before the new find can be authenticated.
El Greco spent most of his life in Italy and in Spain, where he created his best-known works. The artist believed imagination and intuition should rule over measure and proportion in art. His ultimate goal was to reflect the grace of the subject, which he achieved abundantly. This most recent discovery is truly amazing.
Photo via Michalis Andrianakis (Μιχάλης Ανδριανάκης)