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El Greco's View of Toledo, painted
in 1609, almost seems to anticipate the Impressionists of the 1800s. The
rich tones of violet, azure, and emerald green don't translate well, here
-- but they're remarkable for the era. Also, the stylized landscape departs
dramatically from the exacting requirements of realistic depictions of
nature, even in the romantic genre of the pastoral. Perhaps this painting
with its almost psychedelic hues takes a cue from Michaelangelo's Sistine
Chapel ceiling, which, when it was recently restored, used similar and
surprisingly vibrant colors.
Then again, the inner landscape of the mind was in the midst of a transformation: in the same year, Galileo was busy with his telescope watching Jupiter's satellites, Jean Beguin published the first textbook on chemistry, and Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale" was playing at the Globe. Two years prior, John Milton was born, and one year later the Stationer's Company began sending copies of every book printed in England to the Bodleian Library at Oxford. |
Sources for the timeline and accompanying information.
