The Baptism 1600

El Greco's "The Baptism," now in the Museo del Prado, is a towering canvas dominated by elongated figures and dynamic, swirling forms. The composition ascends vertically, pulling the viewer’s eye from the earthy tones at the bottom to the ethereal whites and yellows at the top. This use of colour reinforces a sense of spiritual transcendence. El Greco destabilizes traditional Renaissance perspective by elongating the human form, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. His application of paint, visible through expressive brushstrokes, emphasizes the materiality of the work. This is not just a representation but an object in itself. The painting's structure invites us to consider how faith transcends the physical realm. The exaggerated forms suggest a reality beyond empirical observation, and this distortion serves to challenge fixed meanings, encouraging a deeper engagement with the spiritual content. Ultimately, it encourages an active interpretation of the work's artistic and philosophical concerns.