Portrait of Fernando Niño de Guevara
Portrait of Fernando Niño de Guevara | |
---|---|
Year | 1600 |
Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
Portrait of Fernando Niño de Guevara is a 1600 painting of cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara by El Greco, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
In the article, “Three Paintings by El Greco,” Walter Liedtke theorizes that it was the nephew of Cardinal Guevara, Pedro Lasso, who commissioned his portrait. In Spain during this time it was a novelty to commission a portrait on one's self (outside of courtiers), therefore it is most likely a family member who commissioned this portrait.[1] Conde de Los Arcos (Pedro Lasso), was an established patron of El Greco at the time when this portrait was commissioned. Lasso was a prominent member of the Spanish court and one of the only titled noble members among El Greco's group of friends and acquaintances.[1] At the time of Lasso's death, he is said to have owned seven or eight El Greco paintings, although it is unclear whether the portrait of Cardinal Fernando Nino de Guevara was among this group.
The commission of this painting likely occurred in the spring of 1600, when the Cardinal visiting Toledo for several weeks.[1] As Katharine Baetjer notes, Guevara was named cardinal of San Martino ai Monti in 1596 and thereafter traveled to Rome.[2] In 1599, the Cardinal then received a nomination and subsequent promotion to Inquisitor General of Spain,[1] and made a trip to Toledo. It is possible that, during the Cardinal's visit to Toledo, Conde de Los Arcos may have recommended El Greco to his uncle.[1] Although Guevara had siblings who could have commissioned his portrait, during this time, his sisters were dedicated to various convents and his brother, Rodrigo, lived primarily in the Spanish Netherlands and was likely not in Spain often enough to know the prominence and popularity of the work of El Greco.
This portrait may have served as a celebration of family pride. Liedtke also notes that, “among the many works of art that Pedro Lasso collected and commissioned were family portraits and portraits of public figures, including famous churchmen and Spanish royalty.”[1] Pedro Lasso may have used this commissions portrait of his uncle as a ‘public gesture,’ and placed it in a “residence, family chapel, or an institution such as a church that he was known to support.”[1] If this portrait was hung in a public space, it would serve two purposes which elevated the family's status, having a prominent member of the church as a relative, and having a well-known artist (who by this time has received at least one commission for King Philip II) paint the portrait.
The painting of the portrait was fictionalised in the 1936 novel El Greco malt den Großinquisitor by Stefan Andres. In the 1947 film Lady in Ermine, the inquisitor (Rafael Calvo)[dubious – discuss] sits for his portrait and judges a trial involving a Jewish silversmith in love with El Greco's (fictional) daughter.[3] The 2007 film El Greco (directed by Yannis Smaragdis) includes a fictional incident of the cardinal (played by Juan Diego Botto) trying El Greco before the Inquisition.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Walter Liedtke, "Three Paintings by El Greco."". Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. 50: 21.
- ^ "Katharine Baetjer, "El Greco."". The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. 39. No. 1: 41.
- ^ de Mingo Lorente, Adolfo. "La procesión del Corpus Christi de Toledo en el cine" [The Procession of Corpus Christi of Toledo in film] (PDF) (in European Spanish). Toledo: Ayuntamiento de Toledo. p. 2. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
la intercesión del cardenal Fernando Niño de Guevara (interpretado por Rafael Calvo, [...]) [...] consiguen liberarle.
[the intercession of Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara (played by Rafael Calvo, [...]) [...] get him free.]
- v
- t
- e
- Adoration of the Magi (c. 1565–1567)
- Dormition of the Virgin (1565–1566)
- Healing of the Man Born Blind
- Dresden, 1567
- Parma, c. 1573
- Modena Triptych (1567–1569)
- Baptism of Christ (1567–1569)
- Last Supper (1568)
- Flight into Egypt (1570)
- Annunciation
- Prado, 1570
- Madrid, 1575–1576
- Illescas, 1600–1605
- Purification of the Temple
- Washington, 1570
- Minneapolis, 1570
- New York, 1595–1600
- London, 1600
- Madrid, 1609
- The Fable (1570–1575)
- Entombment of Christ (1570–1576)
- El Soplón (1571–1572)
- Pietà (1571–1576)
- Penitent Magdalene (1576–1578)
- Saint Sebastian (1576–1579)
- Santo Domingo el Antiguo Altarpiece (1577)
- Saint Lawrence's Vision of the Madonna and Child (1577)
- Adoration of the Holy Name of Jesus (1577–1579)
- Assumption of the Virgin (1577–1579)
- Disrobing of Christ (El Expolio) (1577–1579)
- Holy Trinity (c. 1577–1579)
- Saint Anthony of Padua (1580)
- Christ Carrying the Cross
- New York, c. 1580
- Barcelona, 1590–1595
- Madrid, 1597–1600
- The Martyrdom of Saint Maurice (1580–1582)
- The Tears of Saint Peter
- Barnard Castle, 1580–1589
- Mexico City, 1587–1596
- Oslo, c. 1590
- The Immaculate Conception with Saint John the Evangelist (c. 1585)
- The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586)
- Holy Family (1586–1588)
- Holy Face of Jesus (1586–1595)
- Saint Peter and Saint Paul
- Barcelona, 1587–1592
- Saint Petersburg, c. 1587–1592
- Agony in the Garden
- London, 1590
- Andújar, 1597–1607
- Christ on the Cross Adored by Two Donors (c. 1590)
- The Penitent Saint Peter (c. 1590–1595)
- Saint Louis (1592–1595)
- Virgin Mary (Mater Dolorosa) (c. 1594–1604)
- Holy Family (c. 1595)
- Christ Taking Leave of his Mother (1595)
- Saint Andrew and Saint Francis (1595–1598)
- Adoration of the Shepherds
- Bucharest, 1596
- Madrid, 1612–1614
- Doña María de Aragón Altarpiece (1596–1599)
- View of Toledo (1596–1600)
- Virgin Mary (1597)
- Saint Martin and the Beggar (1597–1599)
- The Virgin of Charity (1597–1603)
- Allegory of the Camaldolese Order (c. 1597)
- Saint John the Baptist (1597–1607)
- Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Francis (c. 1600)
- Saint Bernardino of Siena (1603)
- Nativity (1603–1605)
- Coronation of the Virgin (1603–1605)
- Marriage of the Virgin (1603–1607)
- Saint John the Evangelist (c. 1605)
- The Apparition of the Virgin to Saint Hyacinth (c. 1605–1610)
- The Immaculate Conception (1607–1613)
- Saint Peter (1608)
- View and Plan of Toledo (1608)
- Concert of Angels (1608)
- The Saviour (1608–1614)
- Saint Thomas the Apostle (1608–1614)
- Opening of the Fifth Seal (1608–1614)
- Saint Jerome (1609)
- Saint Ildefonsus (1609)
- Saint Francis and Brother Leo (1609)
- Saint James the Great (1610)
- Saint Luke (1610–1614)
- Laocoön (1610–1614)
- Saint Paul (1610–1614)
- Saint Sebastian (1610–1614)
- Julián Romero and Saint Julian (1612–1614)
- Portrait of Giulio Clovio (c. 1571)
- Portrait of Vincenzo Anastagi (1571–1576)
- The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest (c. 1580)
- Portrait of a Doctor (1582–1585)
- Portrait of a Gentleman (c. 1586)
- Portrait of Rodrigo Vázquez de Arce (c. 1587–1597; lost, known from a copy)
- Portrait of an Elderly Man (1587–1600)
- Portrait of Antonio de Covarrubias (1595–1600)
- Self-Portrait (1595–1600)
- Portrait of Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli (c. 1597–1603)
- Portrait of a Young Nobleman (1600–1605)
- Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara (c. 1600)
- Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman (1603–1607)
- Portrait of Fray Hortensio Félix Paravacino (1609)
- Portrait of Juan Pardo de Tavera (1609)
- Portrait of Jerónimo de Cevallos (1609–1613)
- Portrait of Francisco de Pisa (1610–1614)
- Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli (son)
- Lady in Ermine (1947 film)
- El Greco (1966 film)
- El Greco (1998 album)
- El Greco (2007 film)
- El Greco fallacy