San Antonio and south Texans have an opportunity to re-view a prominent oil portrait from the original and founding collection of the McNay Museum knowing it is a true El Greco painting.
Opening this month, An El Greco Rediscovered shows visitors the conservation process and comparisons of McNay’s painting with other versions attributed to the celebrated painter who lived from 1541 to 1614.
The painting seems to be related to the Disrobing of Christ altarpiece in the cathedral of Toledo Spain.
El Greco’s Head of Christ might have originally seemed as a rare acquisition of Marion Koogler McNay, who the museum is named after. She seemed to concentrate more on modern art, but this particular painting demonstrates McNay’s mindfulness of what was going in in Washington DC’s prominent Phillips Collection.
Marjorie and Duncan Phillips, had purchased an El Greco painting for their mostly modern collection, prior to McNay doing so. This became their most unique old master painting in the assortment.
El Greco, whose real name is Doménikos Theotokópoulos, wasn’t as identifiable or recognizable when the McNay opened in 1954.
When McNay bought the Greek painter’s work she assumed it was original. But as more was learned about El Greco over the years, scholars began to suggest the museum's painting may be a studio version or later copy of another work by the master.
Most recently, the painting was transported to Dallas for more research and investigation.
In Dallas painting conservator Helen Mar Parkin carefully removed the over paint that had been applied to the painting after the era of El Greco.
The ambitious process of removing discolored varnish and grime safely from the painting proceeded slowly while McNay moved on with their research.
“In this process, the McNay benefited from advice given by art historian Bill Jordan, who organized a major El Greco exhibition in 1982,” reports the Art Daily online news organization. “As work progressed, the painting began to look more convincing as an autograph work.”
“Jordan however deferred to Leticia Ruiz Gómez of Madrid's Museo Nacional del Prado, who is preparing the complete catalogue of El Greco's work,” Art Daily reported. “Earlier photographs of the McNay's painting had been sent to Madrid; now new photographs followed.”
Ruiz Gomez visited San Antonio to see the painting in person.
She confirmed it as “largely by El Greco's hand, with the face of Christ-especially the eyes and beard-very beautifully painted.”
McNay has now reframed the Head of Christ in the 17th-century Spanish style.
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