The disposition of the hands. Posed here as El Greco depicts in his paintings, the disposicion de las manos is a characteristic that distinguishes him from other painters of his time. In Toledo, we were unable to take photos in any of the buildings that we encountered. This was a shame because we were able to experience many of El Greco's famous works. El Expolio was in the cathedral and it is my favorite piece by the painter. King Phillip II had commissioned El Greco to paint for his palace El Escorial however, the King only accepted one of his paintings because he did not agree with the distinct characteristics that the painter used. First El Expolio depicts other members of society higher than Jesus himself. Also El Greco incorporated characters from different time periods into his work. Other distinct characteristics include the use of colors Venetians and mannerist's-these styles were learned from Tiziano and Michael Angelo. I have really enjoyed learning about this artistic genius in my art and architecture class, and what made Toledo even better was seeing the paintings in real life. It is one thing to explain the beauty of a piece as it sits on a projector but it is enlightening to experience it in reality. Being able to get out of the classroom and actually stand where others have stood is an incredible feeling. The truth is I knew very little about this painter before arriving to Spain and now I feel like I could discuss him and his works. Therefore even though I have no picture of his works, they are ingrained in my memory.