El Greco – Theology hidden in gesture Cover Image

El Greco – teologia ukryta w geście
El Greco – Theology hidden in gesture

Author(s): Radosław Chałupniak
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Visual Arts, Evaluation research
Published by: Uniwersytet Opolski
Keywords: El Greco; painting; ikons; gestures; theology; liturgy;

Summary/Abstract: In the paintings of El Greco one can observe various important gestures. One of them appears repeatedly – a mysterious gesture that almost like a signature can be found in many paintings of the artist: two fingers joined (middle and ring ones) and thumb, index, and little fingers separated from them. The specialists on the artistic creativity of El Greco present different solutions (an oratory gesture, a gesture of oath, typical for the Mannerists, a Jewish gesture, or an expiatory one connected to the spirituality of the Jesuits, a masonry gesture, one of mudras i.e. symbolic energetic gestures, a lactative gesture – pseudo-zygodactilic one). The author of the article indicates, first of all, the theological interpretation of the gesture: confession of faith in Triune God and Jesus Christ – God-man.

  • Issue Year: XXV/2019
  • Issue No: 53
  • Page Range: 237-252
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish