El Greco (the Greek) was born on the Greek island of Crete in 1541.
He studied in Venice under the master Titian, learning from him his architectural compositions and sumptuous color. Perhaps the greatest influence on him would be the artist Tintoretto and his geometric formats. Around 1575 he settled in Toledo Spain, the center of the Church's Counter Reformation activities, where he developed a style all his own.

El Greco's style is characterized by sinuous forms, sculptural in their appearance. He often distorted his figures by reducing the size of their heads in comparison to their bodies. Perhaps his most striking trait is his choice of cold, bluish and silvery grey toned colors, at a time when many masters favored warmer reds and browns. This cold tonality and his anguished looking figures make El Greco's art unlike any other.

El Greco painted primarily religious themes, so his "Laocoon" (1610) is exceptional. The piece is inspired by the antique sculpture "The Laocoon Group" (50 A.D.), attributed to the School of Pergamon and sculptors Hagesandros, Athenodoros, and Polydoros. The marble group was lost in antiquity and then dramatically relocated in 1506. "The Laocoon Group" would be of great importance to the Baroque movement. Like Baroque artists, including El Greco, the School of Pergamon was interested in portraying the full range of human emotions, concentrating on those involving suffering and anguish.

El Greco excelled in portraits, about 40 of which are known. He also designed complete altar compositions, working as architect and sculptor as well as painter.