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Sorolla

Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863–1923) was a Spanish painter celebrated for luminous, sunlit scenes, particularly his sea vistas and depictions of daily life along the Mediterranean coast. Born in Valencia, he trained at the city’s School of Fine Arts and moved to Madrid to pursue opportunities in the royal academies and exhibitions. He achieved national recognition in the late 1880s and 1890s with works that combined careful realism with a spontaneous handling of light and color.

An inveterate traveler, Sorolla worked across Spain and abroad, drawing inspiration from beaches, port towns, and

Legacy and institutions: Sorolla died in 1923. His former home in Madrid, the Museo Sorolla, preserves his

family
moments.
His
best-known
subjects
include
beach
crowds,
fishermen
at
work,
and
portraits
bathed
in
bright,
shimmering
light.
His
brushwork
is
energetic
and
flowing,
with
a
palette
dominated
by
blues,
whites,
and
warm
earth
tones.
While
influenced
by
European
modern
movements
such
as
Impressionism,
he
maintained
a
strong
sense
of
structure
and
narrative
in
his
pictures.
studio
and
a
large
collection
of
paintings,
sketches,
and
personal
items,
reflecting
his
life
and
method.
The
museum
opened
as
a
public
institution
in
1932
and
remains
a
major
repository
for
his
work.
Sorolla
is
regarded
as
one
of
the
leading
figures
in
Spanish
painting
of
the
late
19th
and
early
20th
centuries,
celebrated
for
his
mastery
of
light
and
his
vivid,
life-affirming
imagery.