THE IMAGE ARCHIVEDomenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco
The Assumption of the Virgin
1577–79
This painting was the central element of an altarpiece that was El Greco’s first major Spanish commission and large public work. The Virgin floats upward on the crescent moon, a symbol of her purity, while the apostles express amazement and concern. El Greco’s broad brushstrokes and bold color made this painting a favorite of modern artists such as Pablo Picasso and Mary Cassatt.
Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.
- Artist
- El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos; Greek, active in Spain, 1541–1614)
- Date
- 1577–79
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 403.2 × 211.8 cm (158 3/4 × 83 7/16 in.); Framed: 461.6 × 256.5 × 14 cm (181 3/4 × 101 × 5 9/16 in.)
- Origin
- Greece
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Credit
- Gift of Nancy Atwood Sprague in memory of Albert Arnold Sprague