J oaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863–1923) is undoubtedly one of the greatest names in Spanish painting of the 19th & 20th centuries, and this exhibition celebrates his 100th anniversary.
Mainly known as the painter of the bright and Mediterranean Spain, he created nearly two thousand oil paintings on cardboard, which he generally called “apuntes”. He painted them throughout his life, mostly depicting everyday scenes of his family, landscapes, and sketches of the coastal scenery of his native Valencia. This format was increasingly used in the 19th century by many great artists, as it allowed them to collect quick ideas and impressions. He kept many of them in his studio, covering entire walls with these free and vibrant compositions, and shortly after began to frame them and include them in many of his international exhibitions. Small in size, but large in boldness, they contain bursts of bright colour, confirming his emotional need to depict truth, authenticity and sincerity.
Sorolla obtained a stipend from the Valencia provincial council which allowed him to live in Italy between 1885 and 1889, coinciding with the artists of the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome. Everything he experienced and absorbed in these crucial years of training determined the rest of his career. His experiences were captured in these small notes, in which, with fast and spontaneous lines, he brilliantly captured and registered his beloved Spain.
Location:
Alfonso XI, 7
28014 Madrid
Hours:
Monday–Sunday | 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Contact:
Aurora Zubillaga
Managing Director, Spain
aurora.zubillaga@sothebys.com
+34 91 576 57 14
