Published on the occasion of a major retrospective, this gorgeous new survey focuses on the paintings related to the years Joaquín 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 twenty-three. He exhibited at the international salons, 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 color 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 book reveals much new information about Sorolla’s activities and relationships with other artists in Europe. Included are more than one hundred paintings reflecting the artist’s career, from his early work in Paris in which the influence of the French Impressionists is clearly evident, to the distinctive pictures that reflect his mature and celebrated style.

A painter of vast pieces in his early days - works intended for salons and national exhibitions - Joaquin Sorolla (Valencia, 1863-1923) very soon developed a style of outdoor painting of his own which, though not connected stylistically with the Barbizon School, nevertheless pursued the same postulates, as a result of which he came to be known as a Spanish Impressionist painter. He began to devote himself entirely to this practice in 1900, painting landscapes, views of cities, studies of nature, seascapes and garden scenes in which he demonstrated his tremendous skill in capturing the effects of light. Joaquin Sorolla is unquestionably an essential book for anyone interested in the Spanish Impressionists, and the most complete work of reference on this artist from Valencia. It includes an insightful and in-depth essay by Blanca Pons-Sorolla and some 300 reproductions of his most important pieces.

Valencian master Sorolla's Impressionist paintings depict the most beautiful gardens and architecture in Spain. Like Claude Monet's celebrated plein air landscapes at Giverny, the series collected in this book represents among the best-loved examples of Joaquín Sorolla's (1863-1923) work, and a window into the Spanish painter's quest to capture the essence of a garden. Described by Monet as "the master of light," Sorolla and his landscapes, formal portraits, and historically themed canvases drew comparisons to contemporary American painter John Singer Sargent. Sorolla had achieved renown on both sides of the Atlantic for grand scenes of Spanish life when he began a personal series of garden works, presented completely for the first time in this publication. Painted at the palaces of La Granja and the Alcázar in Seville, the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada, and at the painter's home in Madrid, these Impressionist works allowed Sorolla to apply his signature loose brushwork and training as a photographer's lighting assistant to gardens and the sculptures, architecture, and sitters that frame and animate them. Sorolla depicted reflections in fountains and pools, the sunlight dappling his glamorous sitters, sprays of orange blossoms, and shaded blue-and-white tile as he endeavored to render the radiant peace of a summer afternoon.

Joaqu n Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) first achieved major international success with his painting Otra Margarita (Another Marguerite ) (1892), for which he received first prize at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. This painting was also the first work by the Spanish artist to enter an American institution when it was donated to the Museum of Fine Arts (today the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum) at Washington University in St. Louis in 1894. Sorolla's fame in America grew; in 1909, more than 150,000 visitors attended an exhibition of Sorolla's art at The Hispanic Society of America in New York in 1909. Furthermore, the artist was invited to the White House to paint the portrait of President William Howard Taft. The landmark exhibition of 1909 was followed two years later by another major show of more than 150 of his paintings held at the Art Institute of Chicago and the St. Louis Art Museum. Sorolla and America explores the artist's relationship with early twentieth century America through the lens of those who commissioned him, those who collected his works, and those artists, such as John Singer Sargent and William Merritt Chase, with whom Sorolla closely associated. Particular attention is dedicated to the artist's association with The Hispanic Society of America and with key figures like Archer Milton Huntington and Thomas Fortune Ryan

Joaquín Sorolla (born in Valencia 1863 - died in Cercedilla 1923) is one of the most successful Spanish painters ever. He was a genius in capturing the essence of the scene he was painting. He was a master of light. Joaquín Sorolla loved his wife and his family. He painted them all the time. He lived in the time when photography was being invented and commercialized. Sorolla created a virtual family album with his wonderful paintings. He invited us to see and share his happiness. Sorolla was not shy about his family as many of his contemporaries were. He sold many paintings that showed his family, especially his daughter María was a favorite with the public, and Sorolla jokingly called María the breadwinner of the family. He wanted us to share his view of the ideal family as he shared his view of a great and united Spain. Sorolla painted dogs and a cat as pets, as part of the family, superbly catching their soul and character.

* Volume 1 of Joaquin Sorolla's catalogue raisonné is the first part of the culmination of a project initiated by Francisco PonsSorolla and Blanca Pons-Sorolla, which assembles all currently known works by the painter - some 4,000 pieces. This first volume is dedicated to the collection of the Sorolla Museum in Madrid, SpainJoaquin Sorolla's catalogue raisonné is the culmination of a project that was initiated by Francisco Pons-Sorolla and Blanca Pons-Sorolla, which assembles all the work of the painter known so far (over 4,000 works). The aim of this project is the publication of five volumes in which the works by Joaquin Sorolla Bastida (1863-1923) will be presented by themes: 1. Sorolla Museum; 2. The Sea and the Beach; 3. Portraits; 4. Landscapes; 5. Composition Works. Within these themes, the works will be presented chronologically, so that the evolution of the painter can be observed in each case. This first volume of the catalogue is dedicated to the collection of the Sorolla Museum, which houses the largest collection of the artist's works. It displays a comprehensive panorama of the painter's oeuvre through 1,300 pieces. The project is currently being financed by the Sorolla Museum Foundation, and is being carried out by Blanca Pons-Sorolla, with the collaboration of Teresa Jiménez-Landi and Mónica Rodríguez Subirana. Since the beginning of the project in 1987, a profoundly better understanding of Sorolla's work has been achieved.

The bravura Impressionist works of the premier Spanish painter of a century ago, showcased and explored in detail by an international team of renowned scholars Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) was the leading Spanish painter of his day, world-famous when Picasso was still struggling to establish a name. This sumptuously illustrated book traces Sorolla's career at home and abroad, focusing on more than 60 canvases. These include portraits, landscapes, the bathers and seascapes for which he is most famous, and genre scenes of Spanish life. His monumental early works established the artist's reputation as an unflinching social realist. Sending pictures strategically to major exhibitions across Europe, Sorolla depicted peasants, fishermen, and sail-makers eking out meager existences; young women forced into prostitution; and naked, disabled orphans. Rarely had Impressionist technique been turned to such provocative ends. As Sorolla found a wealthy clientele toward the turn of the century, his focus turned to sun-drenched scenes of leisure and elegant sociability: beautiful women stroll in fashionable resorts and children gambol on the seashore. Here, leading scholars offer a contemporary assessment of his career and explore Sorolla's relations with the most famous bravura painters of the day, including John Singer Sargent and the Swedish artist Anders Zorn. An illustrated chronology by Blanca Pons Sorolla, the artist's great-granddaughter, provides additional information. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: National Gallery, London (03/18/19-07/07/19) National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin (08/10/19-11/03/19)