In the Royal Academy Exhibition of Painting the Modern Garden – Monet to Matisse, there was a picture that caught everyone’s breath. It was by Sorolla, Joaquin Sorolla, who was at the height of his career as Picasso was bursting onto the Parisian scene. The former’s paintings are figurative, but abstract in detail and painterly in the extreme. I am sure that it was the interest in his picture of Louis Comfort Tiffany (left) that contributed to an upcoming show at the National Gallery entitled Master of Light. This is one not to miss.
Everyone loves Sorolla. When he died, he left his suburban house and contents in trust to the public. Not unlike the Soanes Museum in London, the Museo Sorolla is a gem of Madrid. Now surrounded by tall buildings, the house and Arab-inspired garden are a real home, his family home with studio and gallery to show pictures to clients. It is perhaps because he lost many of his family to malaria when he was a small boy, that he cherished this family life so much, resulting in countless pictures of his wife and children. They are charming, yet dashing at the same time.
His first job was with a photographer, Antonio García, who later became Sorolla’s father-in-law. I thought I would share some of his photographs with you, because they are special. The quality is not great, but you will see what I mean. Come to hear me speak about Sorolla on the 23rd May 2019, at our Artemisia Lecture & Lunch before seeing this enlightening exhibition.
