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Portrait of an Old Man

ca. 1595–1600
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 619
With its intimate scale, direct address and similarity to images that represent El Greco, this painting has often been identified as a self-portrait—a strong possibility, but impossible to confirm. El Greco’s portraiture is exceptional for its time because of its penetrating naturalism and psychological insight, often conveyed through the weary features such as these that have been so lightly brushed that the dark grey ground layer shows through.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of an Old Man
  • Artist: El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) (Greek, Iráklion (Candia) 1541–1614 Toledo)
  • Date: ca. 1595–1600
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 20 3/4 x 18 3/8 in. (52.7 x 46.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1924
  • Object Number: 24.197.1
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara (1541–1609), El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara (1541–1609)
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1600
Map of Greece, from "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae", Sebastiano di Re Italian, Engraving
Map of Greece, from "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae"
Sebastiano di Re
mid-16th century
Merry Company on a Terrace, Jan Steen Dutch, Oil on canvas
Merry Company on a Terrace
Jan Steen
ca. 1670
Christ Carrying the Cross, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) Greek, Oil on canvas
Christ Carrying the Cross
El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
ca. 1577–87
Embroidered Medallion, Silk and metal thread embroidery on a foundation of linen plain weave, Byzantine
Embroidered Medallion
Byzantine
15th–16th century

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