El Greco

The Purification of the Temple

1571-76 Oil on canvas Institute of Arts, Minneapolis The most significant iconographic feature of this version is the introduction in the lower right-hand corner four portraits of artists. They are, from left to right, Titian, Michelangelo, Giulio Clovio and Raphael (although it has also been suggested that this figure is El Greco himself, Giulio Romano or even Correggio). Their presence can be interpreted as a straightforward homage by El Greco to those artists to whom he felt indebted (and some of whose works he was quoting in the picture).

ID: 62290