Francis Venerating the Crucifix, El Greco, ca. 1595&St. John the Baptist, El Greco, ca. 1600The compared works of art, St. Francis Venerating the Crucifix and St. John theBaptist, were both written by the same artist. The actual name of this artist is DominikosTheotokopoulos, but some people prefer to call him El Greco, which in translationsimply means The Greek. Both paintings were written by El Greco towards the end ofhis life, and both are of important religious figures in Christian religion-one of St. Francisand the other of St. John. Both are similar in style and composition, and both werewritten in practically the same time period, approximately only five years apart. St.Francis was written at about 1595 and St. John at about 1600.In the painting St. Francis Venerating the crucifix St. Francis is shown with hisright profile to the viewer. He is shown in the rocky, cave-like surroundings kneeling onone knee, with his arms crossed at his chest, in front of a rock upon which rests thecrucifix. Crucifix is shown also leaning against an old-looking skull, and there is anold-looking book to the side of it. St. Francis himself is shown wearing a very simplerobe, which covers him all the way down to his feet, and a cape with a large,heavy-looking hood. In St. John the Baptist El Greco chose to picture St. John in fullfrontal view, facing the viewer. He is shown standing in an open, somewhat rocky field.Behind that there is some green grassy land with a couple of trees, and behind the grassland there is a mountain and a city at its foot. St. John is shown wearing animal furs,which cover his waist and some of his torso. He is holding a very tall, slender cross in hisleft hand, while looking with a diffused look to the right. Also, to the left of him (to theright from the viewers perspective) there is a sheep lying upon a rock.Religious symbolism, although less obvious in some forms than in others, ispresent in both paintings. El Greco pre...
