Diego de Castilla
Encyclopedia
Diego de Castilla dean of Toledo Cathedral. Castilla was of Jewish blood, and this was a major issue, since in 1547, the then-archbishop of Toledo
had passed a statute of cleanliness of blood, excluding from ecclesiastical office and benefices anyone with a trace of Jewish lineage over four generations. Therefore, Castilla developed an obsession for genealogy, working tirelessly to prove his family's links to Spain's medieval kings.
On 2 July 1577, El Greco
was formally engaged by Diego de Castilla to paint three altarpieces for the Cistercian convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. He also signed contracts for the renowned El Espolio. El Greco was a friend of Luis de Castilla, son of the dean. No less significant was his second commission to El Greco for nine paintings for a funerary chapel that he had recently built alongside the Cistercian convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. Here, the artist would produce side panels depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Resurrection
, while the main altarpiece included images of the Assumption of the Virgin and The Trinity, subjects of central theological importance. Mark Irving regards these commissions as "a public declaration that he, a leading national figure in the battle against the Protestant heresy
, could be trusted to support the theological argument
of the Catholic church".
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
had passed a statute of cleanliness of blood, excluding from ecclesiastical office and benefices anyone with a trace of Jewish lineage over four generations. Therefore, Castilla developed an obsession for genealogy, working tirelessly to prove his family's links to Spain's medieval kings.
On 2 July 1577, El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
was formally engaged by Diego de Castilla to paint three altarpieces for the Cistercian convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. He also signed contracts for the renowned El Espolio. El Greco was a friend of Luis de Castilla, son of the dean. No less significant was his second commission to El Greco for nine paintings for a funerary chapel that he had recently built alongside the Cistercian convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. Here, the artist would produce side panels depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
, while the main altarpiece included images of the Assumption of the Virgin and The Trinity, subjects of central theological importance. Mark Irving regards these commissions as "a public declaration that he, a leading national figure in the battle against the Protestant heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
, could be trusted to support the theological argument
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
of the Catholic church".