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Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo was a Spanish aristocrat who died in 1323. Best known by the title "Count of Orgaz" (see note), he is depicted in a 16th century painting, ''
The painting was commissioned for display in the Church of Santo Tomé in Toledo, where it remains to this day.
It was part of a project organised in the 1580s by a priest, Andrés Núñez, who was refurbishing the burial chapel of Gonzalo Ruiz.
The painting juxtaposes the miraculous events which, according to legend, took place at the time the Count was buried (
Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo was a Spanish aristocrat who died in 1323. Best known by the title "Count of Orgaz" (see note), he is depicted in a 16th century painting, ''The Burial of the Count of Orgaz
''The Burial of the Count of Orgaz'' ( es, El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz) is a 1586 painting by El Greco, a prominent Renaissance painter, sculptor, and architect of Greek origin. Widely considered among his finest works, it illustrates a pop ...
'', by El Greco
Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos ( el, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ("The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El G ...
which is widely acknowledged as the artist's masterpiece.
The painting was commissioned for display in the Church of Santo Tomé in Toledo, where it remains to this day.
It was part of a project organised in the 1580s by a priest, Andrés Núñez, who was refurbishing the burial chapel of Gonzalo Ruiz.
The painting juxtaposes the miraculous events which, according to legend, took place at the time the Count was buried (Saint Stephen
Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
and Saint Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
descended in person from the heavens) with realistic depictions of the inhabitants of Toledo.
Núñez is portrayed in the painting, as are contemporaries from Toledo including the artist himself.
Access to the church
The church is opened on a daily basis. The building is of architectural interest, but the main attraction for tourists is the painting. An entrance fee is charged.Notes
:1.Orgaz
Orgaz is a municipality located in the Toledo (province), province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2012 census, the municipality had a population of 2804 inhabitants, but it has since declined.
Burial of the Count of Orgaz ...
is a town in the province of Toledo
Toledo is a province of central Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Madrid, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Badajoz, Cáceres, and Ávila. Its capital is the city of Toledo.
...
. Somewhat confusingly, Gonzalo was not actually a count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
, but the family's title was upgraded to that of count in the 16th century.
References
{{reflist Burials in the Province of Toledo Counts of Spain People from Toledo, Spain Year of birth unknown 1323 deaths