Joaquín Sorolla

Arturo Ramón, Barcelona
Purchased from the above by the father of the present owner in the 1970s; thence by descent

New York, The Hispanic Society of America, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, 1909, no. 339
Boston, Copley Society of Art; Buffalo, Fine Arts Academy, Paintings by Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida exhibited by the Hispanic Society of America, 1909, no. 195

Bernardino de Pantorba, La vida y la obra de Joaquín Sorolla. Estudio Biográfico y Crítico, Madrid, 1953, p. 193 , no. 1669, catalogued (as Playa de Valencia)
Eight Essays on Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, ed. Hispanic Society of America, Llanera, 2009, vol. II, p. 414, no. 339, illustrated

The following condition report has been prepared by Hamish Dewar Ltd., 13 and 14 Mason's Yard, St James', London, SW1Y 6BU: UNCONDITIONAL AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE Structural Condition The canvas is lined and is securely attached to a keyed wooden stretcher. This is ensuring a stable structural support. There is a very minor distortion to the canvas in the extreme lower left corner of the composition. Paint Surface The paint surface has an even but slightly discoloured varnish layer and the painting would benefit from cleaning. The paint surface appears stable. Inspection under ultra-violet light confirms the slightly discoloured varnish layer. Inspection under ultra-violet light also shows very small intermittent retouchings on the extreme edges of the composition including a line of retouching on the lower part of the left edge, a few tiny spots of retouching within the brown pigments above the heads of the figures in the upper left quadrant, and a few tiny spots of retouching within the brown pigments on top of the boat in the upper right quadrant of the composition. It should be noted that these retouchings are all of minimal size and have been very carefully applied. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in very good and stable condition and could benefit from cleaning, restoration and revarnishing.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted on El Cabañal beach, Valencia, in 1908, the present work takes up a theme that preoccupied Sorolla like no other: returning fishermen attended by their wives and daughters carrying baskets in which to carry to market the day's catch. The subject had first attracted Sorolla in the early 1890s when he painted his large scale canvas La Vuelta de la pesca in 1894, and exhibited it to great acclaim at the Paris Salon of 1895 (bought by the French State, and now in the Musée d'Orsay). The present work, painted in situ, evokes the bustling atmosphere of the fishing community on the Valencian beach. 

The close cropping of Vuelta de la pesca, in particular of the foreshortened beached fishing boat in the foreground, reveals Sorolla's lively dialogue with the medium of photography. The composition is framed as though through the viewfinder of a camera, and the rapid, fleeting brushstroke add to the spontaneity of the snapshot view. As a teenager Sorolla apprenticed in the photography studio of Antonio Garcia in Valencia, later marrying his son Clotilde, an experience which strongly informed his later aesthetic.

This work is archived in the Hispanic Society of America (HSA) as negative no. 539.