Saint Louis (El Greco) both France and Spain, particularly since no Spanish king was canonised until Ferdinand III of Castile received the honour in 1671. The work was commissioned by Luis de Castilla, the painter's friend and future executor - the saint was also Luis' name saint. For a period the work was in the collection of the château de Chenonceau, before being acquired by its present owner in 1903. A recent restoration has revealed a cityscape in the background, showing Toledo. Saint Louis (El Greco) Saint Louis is a 1592-1595 painting by El Greco, painted during his time in Toledo. It is now
El Greco of Spanish mysticism". He believes that in El Greco's mature works "the devotional intensity of mood reflects the religious spirit of Roman Catholic Spain in the period of the Counter-Reformation". El Greco also excelled as a portraitist, able not only to record a sitter's features but also to convey their character. His portraits are fewer in number than his religious paintings, but are of equally high quality. Wethey says that "by such simple means, the artist created a memorable characterization that places him in the highest rank as a portraitist, along with Titian and Rembrandt". El Greco painted many of