My Favorite Painters: Joaquín Sorolla
Revised, originally published Apr 6, 2017
"Strolling along the Seashore", 80x79, oil on canvas, 1909.
Joaquín Sorolla: master painter of sunlight
For many of my paintings I depict people at leisure bathed in strong sunlight. For guidance and inspiration I often turn to the work of Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923), a renowned Spanish painter who excelled in portraits, genre paintings, landscapes, and monumental works featuring the people and countryside of his beloved Spain, especially his hometown of Valencia.
Sorolla is especially known for his scenes of figures in sunlight on the beach, like the paintings above and below. He was a master at color and value, using those tools to create the sense of objects in warm, blinding light from the sun above and infused the glow of many shades of reflected light. For instance, on the girl below you can see reflected light on her pink dress, orange from the sand and blue from the sky.
Children Swimming at the Beach, 1903.
A master painter
Joaquín Sorolla's draftsmanship of the human body was also superb, reinforced by a lifetime of drawing and painting from life. Even for the largest paintings he would haul his canvases and easels to the seashore or the countryside, and have his models pose in the sun while he quickly and deftly painted with large brushes and mounds of paint. While other portrait painters of his era typically worked in the studio, like John Singer Sargent, Sorolla even painted his commission of the Spanish King outside in the natural light.
His images beautifully captured movement and emotions, showing swirling wind-caught fabrics and thoughtful expressions. Sorolla's depictions of children are especially sensitive and perceptive without being maudlin. In the painting above, he captures the intensity and innocence of the two boys immersed in their experiences at the water’s edge and the waves beyond.
Self Portrait, 1908
Marie with Hat, 15"x31", 1910.
My Wife and Daughters in the Garden, 65x81, 1910.
Family
Joaquín Sorolla’s wife and two daughters posed for many of his genre paintings such as the one above of the three on a bench in his garden. I love this painting for its soft, relaxed mood, and the way the dappled sunlight and cool shadows convey the sense of a warm afternoon at home. I especially enjoy the punctuation of the black shoes under the pretty dresses, and the family dog at the women's feet.
Louis Comfort Tiffany, 59 x 88”, 1911.
Portrait commissions
Joaquín Sorolla painted many portraits of friends and family as well as commissions for wealthy clients like Louis Comfort Tiffany (above) and for royalty including the King of Spain and his family. I am struck by the masterful composition and beautiful brushwork. Both the figure and the background convey the personality of the sitter.
Detail of Vision of Spain, mural at the Hispanic Society of America, New York City.
Where to see Joaquín Sorolla paintings
About twenty years ago I was able to visit the Hispanic Society of America in upper Manhattan. Their headquarters contain many of Sorolla's original paintings on canvas as well as his series of huge murals depicting different areas of Spain, above. The murals were commissioned by the Society, and work on them dominated the last years of his life. Experiencing all this magnificent work together was awe inspiring.
Someday I will visit the Museo Sorolla in Madrid, Spain to see the large collection of his works that are housed there that were donated by his widow. As I continue to learn more about painting figures in sunlight, Joaquín Sorolla's work inspires me and influences my paintings.
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Linda Hugues