St. Simon
1610-1614
El Greco brings us face-to-face with St. Simon, whose intense, almost haunting gaze seems to pierce right through the canvas. Draped in flowing robes of cool blue and warm yellow, the saint clutches a heavy book, his elongated fingers and dramatic shadows giving him an otherworldly presence. Painted near the end of the artist's life, this portrait showcases El Greco's signature style of stretching human forms to express deep spiritual emotion rather than physical reality. It's a perfect example of how he broke the rules of traditional Renaissance realism to create something far more mystical and expressive.