It is quite interesting to know the darker side of the artist, nicknamed the artist of light and color. Sorolla Museum presents an exhibition that questions the accuracy of this claim, with a tour in which black and its masterful use in the Valencian palette are the protagonists.
Curator Carlos Reiero, professor of art history and former director of the Fine Arts Museum of Valencia, shows the visitor how he captured the light of the Mediterranean, his scenes full of color, or the incredible nuances he achieved with white lines. with whom he identifies Joaquin Sorollafully compatible with the use of black, inherited from the Spanish pictorial tradition with Velazquez, El Greco or Goya.
Sorolla in black made from 62 works both from the museum’s own collection and provided by institutions and individuals.such as the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, the Segovia Museum, the Bank of Spain or the Prado Museum. Some of them are not published to the general public, such as Mary draws (1911), Portrait of Manuel Bartolome Cossio (1908) or Portrait of Manuel Ducassi de Laiglesiaaround 1905). In addition, the visitor will be able to see firsthand the recent restoration. Her Majesty Queen Maria Cristina. Study for “Regency” (OK. 1903-1905).
four sections
The exhibition is divided into four sections. The sample begins with several portraits with a predominance of black and gray tones. These are the characters in which he knew how to stand out its elegance, distinction and cosmopolitan appearance.
It continues with a selection of paintings that show the cultural significance of blacks at the time, associated with such negative issues as melancholy, sadness or decadence. Highlight work The Basque Drunkard (Juan Angel)1910, on loan from the Museum of Malaga
The exhibition continues its itinerary with paintings in which black is used as a resource for highlighting another highly lit surface. As a naturalist painter, Sorolla was able to use the sensationalism of these contrasts in his landscapes and sea scenes.
Exhibition ends monochromesscenes wrapped in greyish or bluish tones revealing his technical virtuosity.
Data sheet
Name: Sorolla in black
Place: Sorolla Museum
Date: From July 12 to November 27, 2022
Organize: Sorolla Museum and Sorolla Museum Foundation
Games: It consists of 62 works (41 paintings, 1 drawing, 1 gouache, 17 photographs, 1 album, 1 book). 42 from the collections of the Sorolla Museum and the Sorolla Museum Foundation, 13 from a private collection and 7 from other institutions.