Joaquín Sorolla exhibition at National Gallery: The artist's top five paintings

1/5
Lizzie Thomson29 March 2019

Spanish impressionist Joaquín Sorolla was dubbed the Master of Light by contemporaries such as John Singer Sargent and Claude Monet.

The first UK exhibition of the artist in over a century has launched at the National Gallery, focusing on the way he captured light, particularly in his seascapes and garden scenes.

His career was a tale of two halves: his earlier works depict themes of social consciousness, whereas the turn of the century saw him turn to less serious subject matter, instead using the beach and his family for inspiration.

We’ve rounded up our top five paintings by Sorolla to mark the show.

Sewing The Sail, 1896

2018 Photo Archive, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia

Sorolla had been painting social realism art for a number of years when he took his art in a new direction, with more light-hearted subject matter. The colourful piece depicts a group of people repairing a boat’s sail in a floral courtyard. Light is captured more extensively in this piece compared to his earlier artworks and sunlight can be seen coming through the railings and plants onto the material and people. This work features as part of a series of Spanish folkloric art and was a hint of what was to come.

Sad Inheritance, 1899

Colección Fundación Bancaja, Valencia

Sorolla made art history with this 1899 piece, as it was the first time an artist had painted children with polio. In it he captures a number of children bathing in the Mediterranean sea under the supervision of a monk. The polio epidemic that struck Valencia in the late 19th century means that a few of the boys in the picture are crippled due to the condition. Sad Inheritance marked a turning point in Sorolla’s career and instantly gave him more recognition as an artist but, despite the painting's success, he had already turned his sights to less intense topics. This was the last time his art focused on social issues for its subject matter.

Women Walking on the Beach, 1909

Fundación Museo Sorolla, Madrid

This picturesque seaside scene is one of Sorolla’s most famous works and sees his wife and daughter strolling along a windy beach in Valencia. It combines two of the Spanish artists’ favourite pastimes: painting the shoreline and capturing spontaneous moments with his family. Here we see his wife, on the the left, struggling with her bonnet and umbrella in the wind, while their daughter Clotilde strides in front.

After the Bath, The Pink Robe, 1916

Museo Sorolla, Madrid

In many ways this piece showcases why Sorolla was deemed the Master of Light. The intimate scene sees two women inside a beach hut, located right by the water’s edge, as one helps the younger change out of her pink robe. Sorolla captures the sunlight seeping through the wicker reeds as it is reflected onto the clothes of the two women. This piece is another example of how the artist catches these fleeting moments of light on canvas.

My Wife and Daughters in the Garden, 1910

Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, 2013. Photo: Marcos Morilla

Sorolla chose another simple subject matter for this famous work but it’s the artistry of the light that makes it stand out. Once again Sorolla is inspired by his own family: here his wife and daughters sit in the garden with the dog at their feet. While their faces remain in the shade, sunlight can be seen in parts on their lower bodies as it shines through the garden foliage. The patchy light across the three women portrays the natural beauty of an everyday domestic scene.

Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light opens at the National Gallery on March 18

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in