The Burial of the Count of Orgaz by El Greco depicts a legendary event in which two saints, Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine, miraculously appeared to help lower the count's body into his tomb. The painting shows this event occurring both on earth, with the count's armored body being lowered, and in heaven, with his soul received by parted clouds. Between these two scenes, an angel carries the count's soul upwards, representing the transition from life to the afterlife.

3. Heaven and Earth
In the Earthly World two saints are carefully lowering the Count's armoured body.
In the Celestial world the clouds have parted to receive the "righteous man".
The earthly and celestial worlds unite in the vertical flight of the angel that carries the Count's soul.

4. Art in Detail
EL GRECO
The Burial of the Count of Orgaz

7. A miracle at a burial
According to local legend, the funeral of the Don Gonzalo Ruíz, Count of Orgaz had some unexpected guests:
Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine appeared miraculously to help lower the count's body into his tomb.
The honour of having saints attend his funeral was in recognition of the count's pious life.

9. GRECO, El, Domenikos Theotokopoulo
The Burial of the Count of Orgaz
1586-88
Oil on canvas, 480 x 360 cm
Santo Tomé, Toledo

10. Here on Earth ...
Solemn and miraculous moment of the burial.
Saint Augustine and Saint Stephen hold the Count of Orgaz, who is dressed in armor.
On the black mourning garments of the nobles are projected the gold-embroidered vestments ...

13. Don Gonzalo Ruiz, native of Toledo, and Señor of the town of Orgaz
Saint Augustine
Saint Stephen
Jorge Manuel, El Greco's son

15. Saint Augustine and Saint Stephen, in golden and red vestments they solemnly hold the count's body,
who is clad in magnificent armor that reflects the yellow and reds of the other figures.

18. The young boy is El Greco's son, Jorge Manuel.
On a handkerchief in his pocket is inscribed the artist's signature and the date 1578, the year of the boy's birth.

21. A the bottom of Stephen's vestment is a scene portraying his death as a martyr by stoning

24. Franciscan friar
Augustinian friar
Diego de Covarrubias, spanish jurist and Roman Catholic prelate
Dominican friar
El Greco, self-portrait

28. The noblemen contemplate the event in a detached and restrained manner.
One can almost hear the whispering between a Franciscan friar and an Augustinian friar on the left.

30. The figure directly behind and above Saint Stephen who looks out at viewer is El Greco's self-portrait.

33. Antonio de Covarrubias, the notable jurist and a personal friend of El Greco
Andrés Núñez, the parish priest of Santo Tomé
Pedro Ruiz Durón, oeconomus, diocesan finance officer
Other people whose identity is uncertain

36. ... oeconomus, diocesan finance officer: he seems to ignore the funeral
and only watches as the count's soul climbs to heaven

38. Just like Heaven ...
The clouds have parted to receive the "righteous man" in Paradise.
Three central figures of heavenly glory surrounded by apostles, martyrs, Biblical figures, Kings
and
an angel guides the Count of Orgaz’s small soul.

40. Christ
Virgin Mary
Saint John the Baptist
Saint Peter
Saint Paul

42. Christ, clad in white and in glory, is a radiance of light,
and the crowning point of the triangle formed by the figures of the Madonna and Saint John the Baptist

47. Saint Peter with the “keys of Paradise” dangling from his hand

49. The three central figures are surrounded by
apostles, martyrs, Biblical kings
and
the just who have passed into paradise ...

52. However ...
amongst them was King Philip II of Spain who was very much alive at the time of the painting !
The "righteous" Philip II is spiritually united with Christ and the heavenly creatures in a City of God.

55. an angel ...
through a gap in the clouds:
an angel guides the Count of Orgaz's immaterial and immortal soul
the Count’s soul will be judged by Christ in Heaven ...

61. ... Anyone looking at the painting was reminded that judgment awaits them too.

65. Art in Detail_
The Burial of the Count of Orgaz by EL GRECO
images and text credit www.
Music wav.
created olga.e.
thanks for watching
oes

66. L’Enterrement du comte d’Orgaz,
chef-d'œuvre du peintre El Greco, est une toile emblématique du siècle d'or espagnol et un chef-d'œuvre
exemplaire du maniérisme.
Entre le ciel et la terre.
La scène inférieure présente le cercle des amis et commanditaires du Greco qui assistent à la scène mythique de
l'enterrement du seigneur d'Orgaz.
La scène supérieure représente le monde céleste.
Entre les deux, un ange emporte l'âme du défunt semblable à un nouveau-né à travers un passage: la mort est
une naissance.

67. El Greco: Pohřeb hraběte Orgaze.
Byl namalován jako pocta a připomínka zbožnosti Dona Gonzalese Ruize z Orgazu.
Na obrazu je zachycena scéna nebeského zázraku z roku1323, která se údajně stala při pohřbívání hraběte. Při
něm sestoupili z nebes hned dva světci. Svatý Štěpán a svatý Augustin. Takovouto velikou poctu na něho
seslala nebeská říše.
Tělo hraběte je ukládáno do hrobu v plné zbroji. Trojúhelník postav hlavních aktérů je věkově seřazen do tří
různých generací. Stařec, muž a mladík. Dva svatí a hrabě. Zastoupení nejmladší věkové skupiny a doplnění
trojice na kvarteto dotváří malířův syn.
Muž stojící uprostřed šlechticů přesně nad hrabětem Organem a s pravou rukou napřaženou k nám, je sám El
Greco.
Tajemná postava v šedivém mnišském oděvu stojící na obrazu vlevo zaujme především přirozeným smutkem.
Ten kontrastuje s jednotvárným zástupem nejpřednějších toledských šlechticů. Jejich smutek je sice důstojný,
ale asi ne zas tak úplně upřímný.
Nad nimi je namalován nebeský svět víry. Svět přímočaře strohý, voskově rozteklý, nebesky utajený.
A pak do tohoto nebeského světa patří duše hraběte Orgaze, jež symbolizuje průhledná postava dítěte v rukou
anděla.