Picasso – El Greco

Tracing the contours of Picasso's evolving dialogue with the master of phantasmagorical figuration

In his youth, Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) frequented the Prado Museum, rejecting a formal education in favor of studying the works of the old masters himself. El Greco (1541–1614) particularly captivated his attention, and his admiration soon bloomed into inspiration. Signature features of El Greco's style were regenerated by Picasso's reverent, if also subversive, hand. During his Blue Period (1901–04), the artist incorporated El Greco's penchant for elongated figures, sober backgrounds and a touch of mysticism and mannerism; during his late career, he more explicitly embraced his fascination with the Spanish Golden Age, evoking El Greco's palette of warm browns and ochers.