Francisco Pons Arnau

FRANCISCO PONS ARNAU (Valencia 1886 - Madrid, 1955).
"Portrait of Don Francisco Stivi Ribera".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 98 x 80 cm; 114 x 95 cm (frame).
Outstanding direct disciple of Joaquín Sorolla, with whom he studied in Madrid, and also son-in-law of the master, Francisco Pons approached a wide thematic in his work, which includes the landscape, the flowers, the portrait and other subjects of figure, mainly those of costumbrista type. He especially stood out as a portraitist, thanks to his ability to delve into the psychology of his models, which he knew how to transfer to his canvases. In addition, his female portraits are characterized by their beauty, sometimes derived from the influence of Art Nouveau. After finishing his training, Pons made trips to Tangier and Brazil. In the latter country he participated in the National Exhibitions held in Rio de Janeiro, being awarded a silver medal in 1911 and a gold medal in 1912. He finally returned to Madrid, where he married María Sorolla in 1914 and began working in the studio of his father, Joaquín Sorolla. Collaborating with his master, he had the opportunity to undertake important commissions such as the portrait of King Alfonso XIII, which allowed him to make his way as a portraitist of the Madrid nobility and gentry. Later his works were also exhibited in New York, Havana, Chile and Argentina. In Cuba he held two exhibitions, one in 1911 and the other in 1915. His fame allowed him to hold important exhibitions in Spain, among which stand out the one held at the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid in 1928 and the individual exhibition held at the Salón de Fiestas del Ayuntamiento de Valencia in 1942. He also participated in the National Exhibitions of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1943, 1945 and 1948 and in Barcelona in 1944, as well as in the Hispano-American Biennial of 1955. Works by his hand are currently preserved in the Prado Museum (work attached to the MNCARS and on deposit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Badajoz), as well as in various important private collections, both Spanish and foreign.