Opening of the fifth seal (The vision of Saint John the Divine)

The 'Opening of the Fifth Seal', also known as 'The Vision of Saint John the Divine' is a religious painting by El Greco created in the last years of his life. Preserved at the Metropolitan Museum, the canvas depicts a scene from the Book of Revelation with a distinct mannerism from the late renaissance. Originally dubbed 'Profane Love', it was later renamed by the scholar Manuel B. Cossio. The oil painting remains unfinished and has suffered significant damage and abrasion over the centuries. It was initially intended for a side-altar of the church of Saint John the Baptist outside Toledo.