◧ Artist: El Greco (1541 - 1614)
◧ Country: Greece
◧ Title: [Saint Andrew and Saint Francis]
◧ Medium: Oil painting on canvas
◧ Painting Size: 167 × 113 cm (66" × 44")
◧ Medium: Oil painting on canvas
◧ Painting Size: 167 × 113 cm (66" × 44")
◧ Museum: Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain
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◧ Country of Stamp Issue: Spain◧ Date of Issue: July 7, 1982
◧ Face Value:13 Spanish Peseta
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Under a sky filled with leaden-gray storm clouds, Saint Andrew and Saint Francis of Assisi stand next to each other in conversation. The apostle appears on the viewer’s left, wearing a cobalt blue tunic and green robes whose purple silk lining has grey reflections. He faces the viewer and leans on his characteristic x-shaped cross, turning his head to his left, where Saint Francis stands. The latter is presented in three-quarters, with his head in profile, facing Saint Andrew. He wears the traditional gray habit with a long cincture tied at the waist and a monk’s hood covering his head. The two saints’ dialog is conveyed by their hands.
Saint Andrew holds his right hand in front of him, while Saint Francis holds his over his chest, with the forefinger and ring finger together. At the same time, he extends his left hand. The figures stand in the foreground, on an irregular, rocky surface marked by their powerful and unrealistic shadows.
A landscape is suggested in the background, over a low horizon that emphasizes the two figures’ monumentality. A sketchy depiction of part of Toledo appears on the left, behind the apostle. Specifically, it is a nocturnal view of the Alcázar, reached via a sinuous path scattered with trees. On the right, the perspective behind Saint Francis is closed by a luminous, snow-covered mountain. (excerpt from the painting description from Museo del Prado)
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