an ▁was ▁a ▁relatively ▁conserv ative ▁C ret an ▁artist , ▁whose ▁first ▁dated ▁work ▁is ▁from ▁ 1 5 2 7 , ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁whose ▁known ▁works ▁were ▁done ▁on ▁the ▁main land ▁or ▁smaller ▁islands . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁Greek ▁wall ▁painter ▁of ▁his ▁day , ▁incorpor ating ▁some ▁Western ▁icon ographic ▁and ▁sty list ic ▁elements , ▁but ▁remaining ▁essentially ▁By z antine ▁in ▁spirit . ▁ ▁The ▁intellectual ▁and ▁art istic ▁person ality ▁of ▁the ▁young ▁El ▁Gre co ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁this ▁art istic ▁environment . ▁In ▁ 1 5 6 3 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty - two , ▁El ▁Gre co ▁was ▁described ▁in ▁a ▁document ▁as ▁a ▁" master " ▁(" ma estro ▁D omen igo "), ▁meaning ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁an ▁en rolled ▁master ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁gu ild , ▁pres umably ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁work shop . ▁ ▁He ▁left ▁for ▁Ven ice ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁and ▁never ▁returned ▁to ▁Cre te . ▁His ▁D orm ition ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin , ▁of ▁before ▁ 1 5 6 7 ▁in ▁temper a ▁and ▁gold ▁on ▁panel ▁( 6 1 , 4 ▁x ▁ 4 5   cm , ▁Holy ▁C athedral ▁of ▁the ▁D orm ition ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin , ▁Herm oup olis , ▁Sy ros ) ▁was ▁probably ▁created ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁El ▁Gre co ' s ▁C ret an ▁period . ▁The ▁painting ▁comb ines ▁post - By z antine ▁and ▁Italian ▁M