Disciple of light, master of color, portraitist to presidents and kings, Joaquín Sorolla (1863–1923) sits high in the pantheon of painterly realists of any age. 

In 1884, his first large painting was acquired by the Spanish government. By the early twentieth century, Sorolla (he’s often called the Spanish Sargent) had established a reputation as one of the great painters of Europe. Now, 100 years after his death, some 30 events are taking place worldwide in a celebration dubbed the “Year of Sorolla/Año Sorolla” by Spain’s Ministry of Culture.

On display in Dallas: Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, “Shadow of the Alcátrana Bridge, Toledo (Sombra del puente de Alcátrana),” 1906. Oil on canvas, 26 x 36 7/8 in. (66 x 93.5 cm). Cristina H. Noble. Photo: Personal Archive, Blanca Pons-Sorolla, Madrid.

One of only two centennial-year Sorolla shows in America, Dallas’ Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University (SMU) is presenting “Spanish Light: Sorolla in American Collections,” an exhibition of 26 rarely viewed works, through January 7, 2024. The curator of the exhibition is Blanca Pons-Sorolla, renowned Sorolla scholar and the artist’s great-granddaughter.

Earlier this year, the Hispanic Society Museum in New York City (in a show that ended July 16, 2023) paired the permanently installed Sorolla paintings in its Vision of Spain Gallery with some of his best paintings on loan from collections here and abroad. The HSM has partnered with the National Arts Club, also in NYC, to exhibit the rarely seen preparatory sketches Sorolla did for the Vision of Spain murals. This is the first time the gouaches are being exhibited in the U.S.

Sorolla on display in Dallas. Photo credit: Guy Rogers III, courtesy the Meadows Museum, SMU

Sorolla arrived in America with a splash the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Capitalizing on this interest, the Hispanic Society of America invited Sorolla to present an exhibition of his work in its New York headquarters in 1909. From that show, the artist sold nearly 200 works to American collectors—and remained in the U.S. for several months, painting a number of portraits on commission, including one of President William Howard Taft.

“Spanish Light: Sorolla in American Collections, reveals Sorolla’s long-time popularity in this country, which can be traced back to the American collectors who supported him during his lifetime,” said Amanda W. Dotseth, the Linda P. and William A. Custard Director of the Meadows Museum. “Thanks to this group of exquisite paintings rarely seen in public, 

the Meadows joins other institutions in Spain and elsewhere during the “Year of Sorolla” to introduce or reengage audiences with the work of this important artist.”

On display in Dallas: Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, “Beach of Valencia (Boats) (Barcas, Playa de Valencia),” 1908. Oil on canvas, 18 7/8 x 23 1/4 in. (48 x 59 cm). Collection of Debbie Turner. Photo: Personal Archive, Blanca Pons-Sorolla, Madrid.

Highlighting many of Sorolla’s most popular and characteristic subjects—such as the white sails of Valencian fishing boats, children frolicking on the shoreline, lively garden scenes, and pensive figural studies—the exhibition offers a singular opportunity to see Sorolla through the lens of his current American collectors, who represent the legacy of the artist’s popularity in this country.

An accompanying catalogue featuring an essay by Pons-Sorolla offers a new perspective on the artist and the history of collecting, examining these and many works that have been inaccessible to the public. The publication builds on research conducted for the Pons-Sorolla’s groundbreaking 2013–14 exhibition Sorolla and America, which showed at the Meadows as well as the San Diego Museum of Art. 

On Display in Dallas: Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (Spanish, 1863–1923), Beach of Valencia (Playa de Valencia), 1908. Oil on canvas, 26 3/8 x 38 1/4 in. (67 x 97.2 cm). Cristina H. Noble. Photo: Personal Archive, Blanca Pons-Sorolla, Madrid.

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The way Joaquín Sorolla mastered the color of light is something many artists dream of doing, yet never quite pull off. One person who has mastered it is Thomas Jefferson Kitts — a modern master in the color who teaches  how to paint like Sorolla with this art video workshop, “Sorolla: Painting the Color of Light.”

On display in Dallas: Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, “Beach of Valencia (Playa de Valencia),” 1904. Oil on canvas, 24 1/2 x 26 in. (62 x 66 cm). Karen W. Davidson. Photo: Personal Archive, Blanca Pons-Sorolla, Madrid.

 

Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, “Pines of Galicia (Pinos de Galicia),” 1900. Oil on canvas, 34 5/8 x 23 5/8 in. (88 x 60 cm). Collection of Debbie Turner. Photo: Phillipp Rittermann.

“Spanish Light: Sorolla” in American Collections captures this long-standing affection for Sorolla in the US by bringing to public view some two dozen paintings drawn from private collections. Highlighting Sorolla’s most popular and characteristic subjects—such as the white sails of Valencian fishing boats, children frolicking on the shoreline, lively garden scenes, and pensive figural studies—the exhibition offers a singular opportunity to see Sorolla through the lens of his current American collectors, who represent the legacy of the artist’s popularity in this country.