- 24
Joaquín Sorolla
Description
- Niña en la playa de Valencia (Girl on Valencia Beach)
- oil on canvas
- 34.5 by 50.5cm., 13½ by 20in.
Provenance
Elena Sorolla García, Madrid (the artist's daughter); thence by descent to the present owner
Exhibited
Madrid, Cason del Buen Retiro, Primer Centenario del Nacimiento de Sorolla, 1963, no. 77
Madrid, Galería Theo, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, 1968, no. 23
Literature
Condition
"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."
Catalogue Note
Executed with the economy of means and the painterly flourish that had become the hall-marks of his style, the overall palette that Sorolla adopted was relatively neutral. However, in delineating the space in which the young girl is situated he used a wide range of hues, including greens, pinks and purples as well as a full compliment of ochres.Of particular note is his use of the colour violet to convey shadow in the girl's face, a device borrowed directly from the Impressionists and the Fauves, and Matisse in particular. As early as 1909, Sorolla, who deliberately distanced himself from any formal association with the French Impressionists, concedes: 'with all its excesses, the modern impressionistic movement has given us one discovery, the colour violet. It is the only discovery of importance in the art world since Velázquez.' (W.E.B. Starkweather, 'Joaquin Sorolla: The Man and His Work', in A. de Beruete et al., Eight Essays on Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, New York, 1909, vol. 2, p. 40).