Dominikos Theotokopoulos, also known by his Spanish nickname El Greco, which means "The Greek," was a Cretan painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. He lived most of his life away from Greece, creating the majority of his works in Italy and Spain. Initially trained as an icon painter in Heraklion, which was then part of Venetian-ruled Crete, he later traveled to Venice. In Italy, he was influenced by prominent masters of Italian art such as Tintoretto and Titian, whose pupil he became, adopting elements of Mannerism.
Stylistically, El Greco's technique is considered an expression of the Venetian School and Mannerism as it developed in the latter half of the 16th century. Simultaneously, it is characterized by personal elements, products of his tendency toward originality. Baroque art eventually displaced Mannerism, and later artistic movements did not favor his style, leading to the neglect of El Greco's work in the subsequent centuries.
During the 20th century, he was recognized as a precursor to modern art, synthesizing elements from Eastern and Western traditions. His work was reassessed and continues to hold a prominent position among the major painters of all time.