The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest
by El Greco
by El Greco
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El Greco painted The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest around 1580, shortly after arriving in Toledo. The unidentified gentleman places his hand over his heart in a gesture suggesting an oath or pledge. His penetrating dark eyes and elongated face became hallmarks of El Greco's portraiture.
The plain black clothing follows Spanish court fashion, where austere dress signified nobility more than flashy colors. Only the white ruff and gold sword hilt break the darkness. The restraint focuses all attention on the face and that pledging hand.
This portrait became one of the most recognized images in Spanish art, reproduced on stamps and currency. The Prado displays it as El Greco's most accessible work.
Works that share an artist, movement, museum, genre, palette or theme with The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest.
El Greco
El Greco, 1600
El Greco
Peter Paul Rubens
Diego Velázquez
Diego Velázquez, 1656
Diego Velázquez
Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533
Johannes Vermeer, 1663
Rembrandt van Rijn, 1632
Raphael, 1512
Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642
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