Sorolla in Paris

Barón, Javier (...)

Published on the occasion of a major retrospective, this gorgeous new survey focuses on the paintings related to the years Sorolla spent in Paris.
A native of Valencia, Spanish impressionist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923), first went to Paris in 1885 as a young artist at the age of almost 23, exhibited at the international salons and winning the Grand Prix at the Exposition Universelle in 1900, and in 1906 he exhibited for the first time at the Galerie Georges Petit, one of the principal galleries of the Impressionists. The exhibition was a resounding success and helped establish Sorolla's international reputation.
Known for his vigorous compositions, unusual colour palette, and loose, radiant brush strokes, Sorolla's sun-drenched landscapes, beach scenes and luminous portraits even impressed such contemporaries as Claude Monet. Richly illustrated and with newly researched essays by noted scholars, this important new book reveals much new information about Sorolla's activities and relationships with other artists in Europe. Included are more than 100 paintings reflecting the artist's career, and from his early paintings in Paris, in which the influence of the French Impressionists is clearly evident, to the distinctive pictures that reflect his mature and celebrated style.