Duke Ellington 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
| Duke Ellington | El Greco | |
| Field | Music | Art |
| Sub-field | Composer | Painting |
| Born | 1899 | 1541 |
| Died | 1974 | 1614 |
| Country of birth | United States | Spain |
| Star sign | Taurus | Libra |
Who they are
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C., into a middle-class family that prized dignity and elegance. His mother, Daisy Kennedy Ellington, was a pianist who gave him his first music lessons. His stylish bearing in youth earned him the nickname "Duke" from a friend who felt the young Edward carried himself with the air of aristocracy — a name that would prove prophetic. He began serious piano study at age seven, fell away from it during adolescence, then returned with furious dedication in his teens, playing in local Washington venues…
Full biography of Duke Ellington →
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 are documented on this site with a verified biography.
Where they part
- Different fields: Music for Duke Ellington, Art for El Greco.
- Born in different countries: United States and Spain.
- 358 years separate their births (1899 and 1541).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Duke Ellington or El Greco?
- El Greco. Duke Ellington was born in 1899, El Greco in 1541.
- What field is each of them in?
- Duke Ellington is filed under Music (Composer). El Greco is filed under Art (Painting).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.