The Assumption of the Virgin

In the pictureIt is a tall picture more than 4 meters high, with a rounded top. In the upper half, the Virgin, wearing a blue mantle over a red robe, rises with her arms spread, looking upward, and beneath her feet is a white crescent moon. Above her head is a bright golden glow, and on either side angels in green, yellow, and pink robes gather with cherubs. Below a band of gray cloud, the apostles stand around a stone tomb with its lid open, pointing or gazing upward. The figure at front left is seen from behind, in a yellow tunic and pink cloak, and at front right sits a white-bearded old man wrapped in a blue cloak.

BackgroundEl Greco was born on the Greek island of Crete, trained in Venice and Rome, and moved to Toledo, Spain, in 1577. His first major commission there was the altarpiece for the convent church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, and this painting hung at the center of its main altar. It was completed between 1577 and 1579. The strong color and light he learned from the Venetian painters show throughout the picture. Although he lived in Spain, he signed in Greek letters, and at lower right in this painting, too, there is a painted scrap of paper bearing his signature.

Puzzle tipBeing tall, the picture divides clearly into top and bottom. First join the gray band of cloud in the middle horizontally to form the boundary, then in the upper part use the Virgin's blue mantle as a vertical column and widen out to either side. The upper right is deep pink drapery, while the left divides into the angels' green, yellow, and pale violet robes. In the lower part, the yellow and pink of the figure at front left, the blue of the old man at right, and the gray stone tomb in the middle serve as references. The apostles' faces look alike, so tell them apart by the color of their beards and hair. Fit the dark brown corners outside the rounded top together with the border. 100 pieces suits it.