Portrait of an Old Man

El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 619

Even when his religious pictures fell out of favor, El Greco’s portraits were admired for their naturalism and psychological insight. For a century, scholars have debated whether this one is a self-portrait, with many viewers seeing in it their idea of him and his imagined soulful character. The artist is thought to have included himself in some of his altarpieces, but there the relevant figure seems more vigorous and has a white beard and hair. Nevertheless, the Museum’s picture was recently exhibited in Spain as a self-portrait, a view long held by the Spanish post office.

Portrait of an Old Man, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) (Greek, Iráklion (Candia) 1541–1614 Toledo), Oil on canvas

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