Arthur Rimbaud vs El Greco
Two child prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Arthur Rimbaud | El Greco | |
| Field | Literature | Art |
| Sub-field | Poet | Painting |
| Born | 1854 | 1541 |
| Died | 1891 | 1614 |
| Country of birth | France | Spain |
| Star sign | Libra | Libra |
Who they are
Arthur Rimbaud
First major poem at age 15 · Quit writing forever at 20 Author of A Season in Hell & Illuminations · Entire output completed before age 21 Born October 20, 1854 · Charleville, France · Died November 10, 1891
Full biography of Arthur Rimbaud →
El Greco
Domenikos Theotokopoulos — called El Greco, simply "the Greek," by the Spanish who could not pronounce his name — was born in Crete around 1541. He arrived in the world as a Byzantine icon painter, trained in the flat gold-ground tradition of Eastern Christianity, and ended his life as one of the most radical Western painters who ever lived, a figure so far ahead of his time that the twentieth century had to rediscover him to understand what he had been doing.
What they share
- Both Libra.
Where they part
- Different fields: Literature for Arthur Rimbaud, Art for El Greco.
- Born in different countries: France and Spain.
- 313 years separate their births (1854 and 1541).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Arthur Rimbaud or El Greco?
- El Greco. Arthur Rimbaud was born in 1854, El Greco in 1541.
- What field is each of them in?
- Arthur Rimbaud is filed under Literature (Poet). El Greco is filed under Art (Painting).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.