Joaquín Sorolla

JOAQUÍN SOROLLA Y BASTIDA (Valencia, 1863 – Cercedilla, Madrid, 1923).
"Portrait of Mrs. Teodolina de Alvear De Lezica," 1907.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated on the right-hand side.
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Mr. Francisco Pons Sorolla.
Work reproduced in: “Sorolla in the Valencian Collections,” Valencia Museum of Fine Arts, 1997. pp. 200–203, ref. 31.
Work reproduced in: “The Life and Work of Joaquín Sorolla by Bernardino de Pantorba,” 1970. P. 206, ref. 2000.
It has a small defect in the upper central area, near the hair.
Measurements: 104 x 95 cm, 134 x 115 cm (frame).
This painting features two clearly distinct planes. In the foreground, an elegant high-society lady, dressed in evening wear, wearing gloves, and sporting a very deep neckline that reveals the splendor of her pearly skin—a look that harmonizes perfectly with the white tulle, silks, and satins of her light attire. The brushwork is shorter and smoother, executed with intense realism—much to the taste of the conservative society of the time— and in which, as much as—or even more than—expressing the subject’s character, what matters is knowing how to capture the sparkle of a diamond tiara set against her black hair or a cluster of pearls on her dress—that is, her status.
In the background, the pretext of a tapestry covering the wall allows the painter to engage in an exercise in freedom, lightness, and modernity, expressed through long, loose brushstrokes with an almost abstract quality. In both planes, we are presented with the two sides of Sorolla: the high-society portraitist who paints what his clients desire, and the restless Sorolla, with his loose and daring technique. The snow-white, marble-like appearance of the distinguished lady, standing out against the dark background, helps create a certain sense of relief and volume. In 1907, Sorolla produced a number of female portraits for which he earned substantial sums; these works also stand out for their aristocratic, and at times somewhat distant, air. From that year are the portraits of “Queen Victoria Eugenia with a Mantilla,” “Doña Josefina Alvear de Erráuzuriz,” and “Miss María Luisa Maldonado,” daughter of Count Villagonzalo: This portrait of the Argentine Teodolina de Alvear was commissioned from Sorolla through Count Artal; he painted it using a photograph, as he was asked to paint it in the style of Madrazo, and was paid 7,500 pesetas for it.
Even during his school years, Joaquín Sorolla demonstrated a passion for drawing and painting, attending afternoon drawing classes taught by the sculptor Cayetano Capuz at the School of Craftsmen. After receiving an award upon completing his preliminary studies at the Escuela Normal Superior, he enrolled in the prestigious San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia in 1879. Likewise, during his visits to Madrid in 1881 and 1882, he copied paintings by Velázquez, Ribera, and El Greco at the Prado Museum. Two years later, he achieved great success at the National Fine Arts Exhibition with a historical painting, which encouraged him to apply for a scholarship to study at the Spanish Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Having achieved his goal, Sorolla left for Rome in 1885, spending several months in Paris before arriving. In the French capital, he was impressed by the paintings of the Realists and the painters who worked en plein air. After completing his studies in Rome, he returned to Valencia in 1889 and settled in Madrid the following year. In 1892, Sorolla displayed a new focus in his art, turning his attention to social issues by depicting the poignant scene in “¡Otra Margarita!”, which was awarded a first-class medal at the National Exhibition and, the following year, at the International Exhibition in Chicago. This sensitivity would remain in his work until the end of the decade, evident in his depictions of the Valencian coast. Gradually, however, the Valencian master would move away from the themes of unfortunate children seen in “Triste herencia,” which had won awards at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair and at the National Exhibition in Madrid a year later. Encouraged by the success of his resplendent images of the Mediterranean, and inspired by his love of the light and life of its sun-drenched beaches, he focused his work on these scenes—more joyful and pleasant—which would bring him international fame. In 1906, he held his first solo exhibition at the George Petit Gallery in Paris, where he also demonstrated his skills as a portraitist. In 1908, the American Archer Milton Huntington, impressed by the artist’s exhibition at the Grafton Gallery in London, sought to acquire two of his works for his Hispanic Society. A year later, Huntington himself invited Sorolla to exhibit at his institution, resulting in a 1909 exhibition that was a huge success. The relationship between Huntington and Sorolla led to the most important commission of the painter’s life: the creation of the immense canvases intended to illustrate the regions of Spain on the walls of the Hispanic Society. His work is currently represented at the Prado Museum and the museum bearing his name in Madrid, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Bilbao and Valencia Fine Arts Museums, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and many others.