The Burial of Count Orgaz* by El Greco

This meticulous and intense close-up observation fits into the heart of the religious masterpieces of the late Spanish Renaissance. Temporarily titled “The Burial of Count Orgaz*”, this painted section highlights the unique treatment that El Greco reserves for the most solemn sacred episodes. Through this burial of absolute nobility, the painter explores community piety and Counter-Reformation devotion, capturing the timeless emotion linked to the death of a brave defender of the Catholic faith.

The tight framing focuses on three main figures emerging from a background of total darkness. Two saints dressed in sumptuous liturgical ornaments reverently support the lifeless body of a knight dressed in dark, shiny metallic armor. On the left, a young saint with a soft profile sports a golden brocade dalmatic decorated with delicate embroideries representing holy figures in a lower medallion. On the right, an elderly bishop wearing a chased golden mitre and a rich yellow cope leans religiously over the deceased whose head rests on a pleated white ruff. The warrior’s body is wrapped in an immaculate white shroud whose folds contrast sharply with the opulence of the surrounding sacerdotal garments.

The exceptional craftsmanship transpires in the virtuoso rendering of precious textures and the changing reflections of polished steel under a divine light. The artist perfectly masters the technique of oil painting to restore the brilliance of gold and the matteness of the gathered faces. It is a work of absolute technical finesse.