Abstract

In this paper, I investigate El Greco's St. Ildefonso, currently placed at the Chapel of the Hospital of Charity in Illescas. This was painted in his most prolific stage, around 1600. Until recently the details of the commission issued to El Greco have not been obvious. Here, I present a tentative plan concerning the ditails of the commission of St Ildefonso, examining the relationship between El Greco and Salazar de Mendoza, a patron of El Greco. First, I focus on how St. Ildefonso is depicted as a Church Father, or author/scholar figure, which differs from the general representation of St. Ildefonso which portrays him receiving the chasuble, or dressed as an archbishop. I demonstrate how that El Greco's Ildefonso resembles the figure of St. Jerome in his study and I examine the description on St. Jerome and St. Ildefonso in Mendoza's work El Glorioso San Ildefonsoﾉ, thus adding evidence for the likelihood of an influence from Mendoza. Moreover, I suggest a close connection between Charity and Mendoza. This is evident from the fact that El Greco and Charity both signed a contract for the retable at the Hospital Tavera, of which Mendoza was administrator. The goal of this paper is to present the details of the commission of St. Ildefonso, considering the intervention of Mendoza, an Toledan