Dr Alfrent Vincent will present a lecture entitled “El Greco: Man, myth and manner” at the Greek Centre, on Thursday 17 August 2017, as a part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

According to Dr Vincent, Dominikos Theotokopoulos, El Greco (c.1540-1614), “is still, in some ways, an enigma”. With the aid of Powerpoint slides, he will trace the development of this great artist's work over the years, from Crete to Venice, Rome and Spain, while aiming to address some basic questions.

How do recent discoveries about El Greco’s early life affect our understanding of his work? How is his art related to the post-Byzantine tradition in which he was trained? What is his relation to the Mannerist style that was spreading throughout Europe in his time? (Hence the word "manner" in the title.) How did he fit into the militant Catholic society of his adopted country, Spain, so different from that of his homeland, Crete? How is it that so many myths have grown up about El Greco? They are some of the questions Dr Vincent will explore during his lecture.

Alfred has a degree in Classics, a PhD on a Modern Greek topic, and an honorary doctorate (2002) from the University of Crete. In 1973 he was appointed to introduce Modern Greek studies at the University of Sydney, where he taught until 1998 and is now an honorary affiliate. Much of his research has been on the society and culture of Venetian Crete; he has worked extensively on primary sources as a guest of the Hellenic Institute in Venice. His recent publications include an edition, with introduction, of the Cretan narrative poem The Shepherdess (Η Βοσκοπούλα, c. 1600 AD), published in Greek at the University of Thessaloniki (2016). Other interests include Greek music (ancient and modern), humour and comedy, and Greek writers in the Romanian lands. He has been a founding member and secretary of the Sydney branch of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis. He has contributed to the Greek Festival of Sydney for many years, giving talks and co-ordinating concerts and other events.

When: Thursday 17 August 2017, 7:00pm
Where: Greek Centre (Delphi Bank Mez, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne)