Editing Mannerism (section)

===El Greco===
[[File:El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) - Laocoön - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|[[El Greco]], ''[[Laocoön (El Greco)|Laocoön]]'' ({{circa|1610–1614}}), [https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.33253.html National Gallery of Art] ]]
The [[Crete|Cretan]]-born Spanish painter [[El Greco]] attempted to express religious emotion with exaggerated traits. After the realistic depiction of the human form and the mastery of perspective achieved in High Renaissance, some artists started to deliberately distort proportions in disjointed, irrational space for emotional and artistic effect. El Greco still is a deeply original artist. He has been characterized by modern scholars as an artist so individual that he belongs to no conventional school.<ref name="ReferenceB" /> Key aspects of Mannerism in El Greco include the jarring "acid" palette, elongated and tortured anatomy, irrational perspective and light, and obscure and troubling iconography.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg29/gg29-over1.html |title= El Greco |publisher=National Gallery of Art |access-date=19 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grec/hd_grec.htm |title= El Greco (1541–1614) |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |first1=Keith |last1=Christiansen |date=October 2004 |access-date=19 May 2013}}</ref> El Greco's style was a culmination of unique developments based on his Greek heritage and travels to Spain and Italy.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000034199|title=Greco, El|last=Marías|first=Fernando|date=2003|website=Grove Art Online |doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T034199 |doi-access=free |isbn=978-1-884446-05-4 |access-date=1 April 2019}}</ref>

El Greco's work reflects a multitude of styles including [[Byzantine art|Byzantine]] elements as well as the influence of [[Caravaggio]] and [[Parmigianino]] in addition to [[Venetian school (art)|Venetian coloring]].<ref name=":5" /> An important element is his attention to color as he regarded it to be one of the most important aspects of his painting.<ref>{{Cite book|title=El Greco-The Greek|last=Lambraki-Plaka|first=Marina|year=1999|isbn=960-03-2544-8|location=Kastaniotis.|pages=47–49 |publisher=Ekdoseis Kastaniōtē }}</ref> Over the course of his career, El Greco's work remained in high demand as he completed important commissions in locations such as the [[Palacio del Senado (Spain)|Colegio de la Encarnación de Madrid]].<ref name=":5" />

El Greco's unique painting style and connection to Mannerist characteristics is visible in his ''[[Laocoön (El Greco)|Laocoön]]''. Painted in 1610,<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|title=El Greco|last1=Davies|first1=David|last2=Greco|first2=J. H|author3=Metropolitan Museum of Art|author4=National Gallery|publisher=National Gallery Company|year=2003|location=London|pages=245}}</ref> it depicts the mythological tale of [[Laocoön]], who warned the [[Trojan War|Trojans]] about the danger of the [[Trojan Horse|wooden horse]] which was presented by the Greeks as peace offering to the goddess [[Minerva]]. As a result, Minerva retaliated in revenge by summoning serpents to kill Laocoön and his two sons. Instead of being set against the backdrop of [[Troy]], El Greco situated the scene near [[Toledo, Spain]] in order to "universalize the story by drawing out its relevance for the contemporary world."<ref name=":6" />

El Greco's unique style in ''Laocoön'' exemplifies many Mannerist characteristics. Prevalent is the elongation of many of the human forms throughout the composition in conjunction with their serpentine movement, which provides a sense of elegance. An additional element of Mannerist style is the atmospheric effects in which El Greco creates a hazy sky and blurring of landscape in the background.