Chapel of San José

Over the main altar of this small private chapel in Toledo, El Greco painted Saint Joseph as a tall young man striding forward with the Christ Child at his side, the city spread out below them. Above that canvas sits his Coronation of the Virgin. Both still hang where he placed them more than 400 years ago.

The money behind the chapel came from Martín Ramírez, a wealthy Toledo merchant whose bequest also helped Teresa of Ávila, the Carmelite reformer, settle her nuns in the city. She wrote about him in her Book of Foundations, and the dedication to Saint Joseph reflects a devotion she championed. In 1597 his heirs contracted El Greco to paint four canvases for the chapel's three altars.

The other two, Saint Martin and the Beggar and a Madonna and Child with Saints Martina and Agnes, stood on the side altars until the early 20th century, when they were sold and went to America. They are now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, while the chapel itself, still privately owned, remains open to visitors.