Joaquin Sorolla Y Bastida

Joaquín Sorolla studied at the Academy of Arts in Valencia. During a visit to Madrid, he copied works by Diego Velázquez und José de Ribera whose treatment of light had captured his interest. After several years in Rome funded by a scholarship, Sorolla finally settled down in Madrid and started to paint historical and religious subjects, genre scenes, landscapes and portraits. Increasingly, the treatment of light became his central concern, eventually leading him to plein-air painting. From 1906, his many beach scenes would become his signature subject: atmospheric moments, capturing, with energetic strokes in light and airy colours, the interplay of glistening light and colourful shade and its ephemeral effect on landscape and figures. In 1911, the Hispanic Society of America commissioned Sorolla to paint monumental murals, showing the folkloric traditions of the different Spanish regions. Enjoying great success with international exhibitions and awards, Sorolla also promoted the popularity of Impressionism in Spain, with which he shared similar artistic interests.