Conceived by El Greco in his Toledo studio in the late 1580s and repeated in variants through the early seventeenth century, Saint Dominic in prayer became one of the artist’s most enduring devotional compositions. The image shows the saint kneeling alone in a rocky landscape before a crucifix, illuminated by a slanting shaft of light. As Wethey observed, this composition belongs to the so-called 'outdoor' type—distinct from a second variant set indoors and a third, known only through a copy in the Museo de Santa Cruz, Toledo, in which the saint holds a small wooden crucifix (H.E. Wethey, op. cit., 1962, II, p. 114).
The earliest version of this type is generally dated to around 1585-90 and was formerly in the collection of Plácido Arango, Madrid. The composition was adapted after 1600 in a series of autograph canvases, including examples in the Sacristy of Toledo Cathedral and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as well as the variant formerly in the Rau collection (sold Sotheby’s, London, 3 July 2013, lot 19; H.E. Wethey, op. cit., 1962, II, pp. 112-13, nos. 203-05). The present painting is a high-quality workshop version executed after the ex-Rau picture; it preserves the essential structure of the composition while introducing subtle variations in the drapery and the saint’s gaunt features.
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The painting presents well overall. The varnish is clear and saturates the pigments. The canvas has been wax lined, and the adhesion between the lining canvas and the original support appears strong. The canvas is mounted on a keyed stretcher. The signature, written in Greek, appears to be original. Examination under raking, normal light, and magnification shows a consistent craquelure running through the signature the surrounding paint layers. The signature is somewhat abraded and may have been slightly strengthened.
The paint surface shows areas of abrasion, most likely the result of earlier cleanings and the lining process. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals scattered restoration. Notable areas of inpainting include passages in the white drapery of Saint Dominic, his hands, and sections of the black drapery. There is also restoration to head and hair of Saint Dominic. Additional minor retouching is present in the rocks of the foreground, while a more concentrated area occurs in the background, specifically on Saint Dominic’s robe at the lower right.
Despite these interventions, several passages remain beautifully preserved, including the highlights of Saint Dominic’s white robe and the figure of Christ on the crucifix. The painting is presentable in its current state, though it could benefit from cleaning and more refined restoration.