Sorolla Comes to Provence

"Pescadoras valencianas"
Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm
Joaquim Sorolla

Twice a year, the Hôtel de Caumont in Aix-en-Provence mounts a special exhibit, featuring an artist of note. I start checking their website in January, eagerly awaiting news of what the summer show will be. Imagine my delight when the 2020 show was finally announced: "Joaquin Sorolla: Spanish Lights". Yay!!

"Pescadora valenciana"
Oil on Canvas, 47 x 37 cm
Joaquin Sorolla, 1916

I first wrote about Sorolla over six years ago. (Yes, I've been writing this blog for that long!). Sorolla is the proverbial "painter's painter", and is known for the luminous light he captures in his canvases. I was excited to read that the exhibit in Aix will focus on Sorolla's creative process, and will feature a number of his small drawings and oil "sketches". 

"Le retour de pêche"
Oil on Canvas, 45 x 74.3 cm
Joaquin Sorolla, 1904

I love Sorolla's oil sketches! Even though they are small in scale, they are works of art in their own right, hardly deserving of the dismissive label "sketches". These "sketches" also seem to hold the key to unlocking insights into the way that Sorolla saw the world, and how he created his compositions. I've never seen any of them in person--just reproductions in books. I can't wait to see them up close and personal! 

"Levantine Landscape"
Oil, 4.75 x 8.74 inches
Joaquin Sorolla, 1888

The curators say that this exhibit, and the sketches and drawings in particular, will shed light on Sorolla's creative process and his approach to painting. It's always a treat to get inside the mind of a great painter--and I hope that this show will facilitate that. 

"Tejados de Madrid"
Joaquin Sorolla, 1882-84

I'm illustrating this post with images of paintings that will be shown in Aix, and also some of my favorite "sketches". If you can't get to Provence this summer, don't despair! You can see some of Sorolla's greatest masterworks right here in the USA at the Hispanic Society of America in New York. And the catalog of the exhibit will be available on Amazon in April. Enjoy!