Manner of Domenikos Theotokopoulos, called El Greco

The painting has been glue relined. under very dirty old varnish. there are scattered old losses and liftings that have been laid down. some of the old losses have been rather crudely filled and the surface is uneven. a very small deposit of a dripped substance can be seen on right side of hood. overall the painting still reads well and presents a striking image. under UV light: can't see through the old varnish making it hard to judge; there is an area of retouching on top of the old varnish in sky at upper left; an area at the top edge fluoresces, but this appears to be old, dripped varnish. otherwise nothing visible, though there could be more under the old varnish. In a caved black and gilt wood frame with numerous nicks and losses.
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The present work is a quotation from Saint Francis’ Vision of the Flaming Torch (Cadiz, Hospital de Nuestra Senora del Carmen; see H. E. Wethey, El Greco and His School, Princeton 1962, vol. II, p. 126, cat. no. 231, reproduced vol. I, figs 280, 281, 402).