Why it matters
In the dark, a boy blows on a glowing ember to light a candle. El Greco may have been trying to recreate a lost ancient painting described by Pliny the Elder.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1571–1572, probably in Venice.
- It is one of his first figure paintings.
- He reused the figure in The Fable.
Based on the Wikipedia article El Soplón (CC BY-SA 4.0).
