Domenico Theotocópuli "El Greco" and the Design of the First Altarpiece in Toledo at the Monastery of Santo Domingo El Antiguo

CYCLE: The Lives of Artworks: Stories, Places, Journeys, Secrets, and Appropriations
SPEAKER: Macarena Moralejo Ortega
DATE: Tuesday, July 8, 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Palazzo Altemps, Via di Sant'Apollinare 8

The Prado Museum dedicated an exhibition (2025) to the first "retablo" (altarpiece) designed by Domenico Theotocópuli "El Greco" at the Monastery of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo. The exhibition allowed for the reconstruction of the original conception of the Main Chapel and the two side altarpieces. In this regard, the structures are still in situ while the paintings are now dispersed in various public and private collections in Spain and abroad. The objective of the conference is to describe the first commission designed by the famous artist in Spain and the consequences of the subsequent dispersion of the paintings that have strongly modified the artistic and devotional message. Furthermore, this proposal will allow us to reflect on the meaning of the "retablo," i.e., the structure, materials, and artists involved to highlight the links between the Italian and Iberian worlds in the production of "El Greco." 

Macarena Moralejo Ortega (Art History Department, Complutense University, Madrid). European PhD (2008, University of Valladolid and Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome) with her thesis in Italian and Spanish Language entitled: "La Teoría Artística de Federico Zuccari (1539-1609), antecedentes y repercusiones en la tratadística moderna." Dr. Moralejo received her academic training as an Art Historian in Italy at La Sapienza, Università per Stranieri di Perugia, and at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In addition, she also conducted her pre- and post-doctorate studies at such renowned institutions as the Academia de España, Escuela Española de Historia y Arqueología (CSIC), and the Kunsthistorischen Institut in Florence. Her numerous publications include books, chapters in books, essays, and articles addressing subjects such as Italian-Spanish Artistic Literature of the Sixteenth Century, Art Collections between Italy and Spain (House of Medici and Habsburg, Papal States, Viceroys of Naples), and the Society of Jesus as a main proponent and voucher for literary and artistic projects of global importance. She regularly participates in research projects in Spain and abroad, as well as in conferences in Europe and the USA.
 

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