February 1, 2023
Spain's Painter of Sunlight: Sorolla at 100
In 2023 Spain marked a century since the death of Joaquín Sorolla, the master of dazzling Mediterranean light and breezy beach scenes.
Joaquín Sorolla painted sunlight like few artists before or since. In 2023, Spain commemorated 100 years since his death with a wave of exhibitions celebrating the Valencian master of shimmering beaches, splashing children and dazzling Mediterranean glare.
Often called the Spanish Impressionist, Sorolla worked with broad, confident, sun-drenched brushstrokes that capture the very heat and glitter of the coast.
His house in Madrid, now a museum, preserves the world he painted. The centenary reintroduced a painter of pure, infectious joy to a new generation.
Image: “Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida - Strolling along the Seashore - Google Art Project” — Joaquín Sorolla, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.