El Greco
Lamentation
From $80
This painting is deep black clothing, a white ruff and a pale face, and a cheap copy greys the black and loses the lace. Our El Greco Nobleman print was graded beside the original so the black stays deep and the ruff and cuff stay crisp.
Canvas, framed or paper
Stretched canvas. Printed on cotton canvas and stretched taut over a frame. The edges are mirror-wrapped, so the picture continues around the sides and none of it is lost to the fold.
Framed canvas. The same canvas, set in a black, white, natural wood or dark wood frame 0.83 in deep. The frame gives the work a finished edge and a little more presence on the wall.
Framed print. Printed on fine art matte paper and framed in solid pine, behind shatterproof plexiglass, in black, white, natural wood or dark wood. It arrives ready to hang. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame.
Fine art print. Printed on 310gsm fine art matte paper, for framing your own way. It travels rolled and protected. From 18x24 inch.
Sizes
12x16 inch, 18x24 inch, 30x40 inch. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame, so the visible painting is a little smaller.
On your wall
Its tall shape suits a study, a library or a hallway. The black and white look elegant with grey, cream and walnut, and a black or gold frame suits it.
About the painting
The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest by El Greco
Toledo, about 1580
Around 1580, among his first paintings in Spain, El Greco painted a gentleman in black with a white ruff, his long fingers spread on his chest. It is the most famous of his portraits of unknown gentlemen.
Who is he?
Nobody knows for certain. The Prado suggests Juan de Silva, Marquis of Montemayor, a royal notary: the hand may be taking an oath. Others have suggested the writer Cervantes, or El Greco himself, but neither idea is accepted.
Mannerism
A gold sword hilt gleams at the lower right. The painting hangs in the Prado in Madrid.
Read the story
We don't know who this man is. But he's one of the most famous faces in Spanish art.
Around 1580, soon after he arrived in Spain, El Greco painted a gentleman dressed in black, with a white ruff at his neck.
He spreads his long fingers across his chest.
The Prado, where it hangs, thinks he may be Juan de Silva, Marquis of Montemayor, a notary to the king. If so, the hand may be taking an oath.
Others have guessed the writer Cervantes, or even El Greco himself. Modern scholars don't accept the Cervantes idea.
El Greco painted a whole series of unknown gentlemen like this, in black, against dark backgrounds. This is the most famous of them.
Down at the lower right, the gold hilt of a sword catches the light.
It belongs to the Prado Museum, in Madrid.
Look at the hand, and then at his steady eyes.
The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest. El Greco, about 1580.
How each piece is brought to life
Faithful to the original, and made to be felt on your wall.
Graded against the original
We compare every work with the original as we grade it, keeping the artist’s colours true while bringing back their depth and glow. Every mark stays the artist’s own.
Printed for you
Printed to order on cotton canvas or fine art paper, then framed if you chose a frame, in 1 to 3 business days.
On your wall
It arrives 5 to 12 business days later, tracked and free anywhere in the US. Framed pieces come ready to hang.
Questions
Is this the original painting?
No. The original hangs in a museum. What you receive is a fine art reproduction, remastered from the original and printed for you, with every mark where the artist left it.
Will the colour look flat?
This is where most reproductions disappoint, and it is where we spend the most time. Each work is graded side by side with the original: faithful to the artist’s colours, with the depth and warmth brought back, so it moves you on the wall the way it was meant to. Canvas reads a touch softer than a backlit screen, and every screen shows colour a little differently.
Will the edges be cropped?
Each size is a standard frame size, so we fit the painting by trimming a little from its edges. We never stretch or squash it, and we check every size by eye so no face, figure or signature is cut. On canvas the edges are mirror-wrapped, which keeps the whole picture on the front.
Which size is right for my wall?
Aim for about two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it. Over a sofa or a sideboard, one of the two largest sizes will hold the wall. The size guide lists every size in inches and centimetres, with the kind of wall each one suits.
How long does it take?
Your piece is printed in 1–3 business days, then spends 5–12 business days in transit, tracked all the way. Delivery is free anywhere in the US. We are unable to deliver to PO boxes.
What if it arrives damaged?
Send us a photograph and we will remake it and send it again. There is nothing to return.
Can I return it?
Yes, within 30 days of delivery. Our returns policy has the details.
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Printed to order
Graded against the original, then printed for you on cotton canvas or fine art paper in 1–3 business days.
The whole painting
Every mark is the artist’s own, and canvas edges are mirror-wrapped so the whole picture stays on the front.
Free US shipping
On every order, tracked, 5–12 business days in transit.
30-day returns
Returns and exchanges within 30 days of delivery.
