An interesting tale about a troublesome love story between a Hebrew blacksmith and Catalina , daughter of the notorious painter , architect , sculptor and architect Domenicos Theotokopoulos , known to the world as "El Greco" (he was born in Crete) , the famous artist who painted agile , elongated figures reminiscent of Tintoretto and Veronés . XVI Century , in his Toledo atelier El Greco (José Prada) paints a portrait of her daughter Catalina (Lina Yegros) in ermine . During Corpus celebrations and holy processions , Samuel , a young Hebrew goldsmith , is stunned by her beauty . There is an exciting triangular love story between Don Luis Tristán (Eduardo Fajardo) and Samuel , both belonging to two antagonist classes and religions who fall in love with Catalina that causes inexpected consequences .
This is a costumer partially based on facts , including some fictitious elements , but predominates the slow-moving and religious melodrama . The picture concerns on the different religions : Catholic , Jew and Islam , the cruel Inquisition , the lavish courts of Spain , the treachery of love , all storming across the canvas of the man called ¨El Greco¨, being well played by José Franco . Dealing with two loving triangles among Catalina/Lina Yegros , Samuel/ Jorge Mistral , Don Luis Tristán/Eduardo Fajardo and Jarifa, the Muslim or Morisca/Alicia Palacios . Being filmed in usual style of the forties and in stylistic scholarship , without leaving a trace the historical issues , in terms of dramatic and narrative excitement . Partially historical film about a pursued Jew , his lover and an uncompromising artist , El Greco , and his relationships to powerful people from Renaissance as Niño De Guevara , the General Inquisitor that was painted on a famous painting . The picture relies heavily on the loving relationships between Jew Samuel , captivated by the beauty Catalina and suitors who will challenge their love . The film is based on the stage play of the same name written in 1922 by the director's brother , Luís Fernández Ardavín and the costumes and sets filmed in Madrid studios are sumptuous and luxurious . There is no historical evidence for this story , El Greco's painting of the mysterious unknown lady can be found in Pollock house , Glasgow (UK). Some investigators expose ¨The Lady in ermine¨ resulted to be Jerónima De Las Cuevas , El Greco's lover who gave him a son . This character was also portrayed in other films as ¨Caballero De La Mano En El Pecho¨ starred by Nuria Torray and ¨El Greco¨(1966) starred by Mel Ferrer and Rosanna Schiaffino as Jeronima and ¨El Greco¨ (2007) starred by Laia Marull as Jerónima . ¨Lady in ermine¨ stars Jorge Mistral who gives a restrained and dignified performance , he was one of the greatest actors of the 40s and 50s , though he early committed suicide himself . Acting by remaining cast is average , as Lina Yegros gives an excessively theatrical performance . Acceptable support cast with prestigious secondaries as Eduardo Fajardo , Arturo Marín , José Jaspe , Félix Fernández , Fernando Fernández de Córdoba and special mention for José Prada as El Greco . Glamorously as well as sumptuously photographed by Manuel Berenguer . Evocative and atmospheric score by Jesús García Leoz . And being lavishly produced , though mostly in interiors- Sevilla studios- including the procession scenes . Being shot in enough budget , abundant interiors and a few landscapes . The motion picture was professionally directed by Eusebio Fernández Ardavín . Being the younger brother of playwright Luis Fernandez Ardavin . And his nephew was Cesar Fernández Arvadin who directed the classic ¨El Lazarillo De Tormes¨ . Eusebio was a pioneer director and writer , known for directing some silent films and others flicks of the early sound cinema , such as : ¨El Aventurero Misterioso¨ (1918), ¨La Leyenda Del Cementerio¨ (1917) , ¨Ensueños¨ (1917) , ¨El Sexto Sentido¨ (1929) , ¨Rueda De La Vida¨(42), ¨El Abanderado¨ (1943) and ¨El Doncel De La Reina¨ (1946) .
The film includes a brief biography of the prestigious painter describing as he trained and became a master within the classic tradition before traveling at age 26 to Venice , as other Greek artists had done . His works painted in Italy were influenced by the Venetian Renaissance style of the period,and a chromatic framework that connects him to Titian . In 1570 he moved to Rome, where he opened a workshop and executed a series of works. During his stay in Italy, El Greco enriched his style with elements of Mannerism and of the Venetian Renaissance. In 1577, he moved to Toledo, Spain, where he lived and worked until his death . In Toledo, El Greco received several major commissions and produced his best-known paintings such The Death of Count Orgaz , The Disrobing of Christ , The Assumption of the Virgin , The Holy Trinity , The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception , martyrdom St Bartomome , knight with hand on the breast , among others . While "Crete gave him life and the painter's craft, Toledo a better homeland, where through Death he began to achieve eternal life" . In his mature works El Greco demonstrated a characteristic tendency to dramatize rather than to describe and the strong spiritual emotion transfers from painting directly to the audience . El Greco's preference for exceptionally tall and slender figures and elongated compositions, which served both his expressive purposes and aesthetic principles, led him to disregard the laws of nature and elongate his compositions to ever greater extents, particularly when they were destined for altarpieces . El Greco's dramatic and expressionistic style was met with puzzlement by his contemporaries but found appreciation in the 20th century . El Greco is regarded as a precursor of both Expressionism and Cubism, while his personality and works were a source of inspiration for poets and writers .
