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What was El Greco’s first major commission in Spain?
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El Greco
Burial of the Count de Orgaz, oil on canvas by El Greco, 1586–88; in the church of Santo Tomé, Toledo, Spain.
El Greco’s first major commission in Spain was for the high altar and two lateral altars in the conventual church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, which he completed between 1577 and 1579.1
This project was of significant importance and scope, marking a turning point in the artist's career. El Greco not only painted the works—including the Assumption of the Virgin for the high altar—but also designed the architectural frames for the altars themselves, drawing inspiration from the style of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. The commission was granted to him by Diego de Castilla, a Spanish ecclesiastic.1