The great Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida was born in Valencia on February 27, 1863.
Sorolla showed a flair for painting at an early age and at 15, he joined the Academy of San Carlos in Valencia. At 18, he went to Madrid and attempted to copy the master paintings of Museo Del Prado. After completing his military service, he continued his study of art. Joaquin Sorolla returned to his hometown Valencia in 1888 and married Clotilde Garcia del Castillo. In 1990, the Bastida family returned to Madrid.
Sorolla's works revolved around historical,
social realists, oriental, and mythological themes. He first tasted success when he received a gold medal from
the National Exhibition in Madrid for his painting 'Another Marguerite. In 1894, he received great appreciation
at the Paris Salon. His masterpiece 'Sad Inheritance won the Grand Prix and earned
him medals from the Universal Exhibition in Paris and the National Exhibition of Madrid.
By 1900, Sorolla was regarded as a great artist and was awarded a nomination as the Knight of the Legion of Honor.
Later, he even became an honorary member of the Fine Art Academies of Paris.
In 1906, he had his first solo exhibit at the Galeries Georges Petit (Paris) for which he created around
500 paintings. A series of exhibitions of his works then followed in Berlin in 1907, in London in 1908, and in
New York, Chicago, and St Louis in 1909. One of the major commissions that Sorolla worked on was a series of large
panel paintings for the Hispanic society of America called 'Provinces of Spain'.
Joaquin Sorolla was a dynamic artist of international repute. His paintings were the vibrant works of art created
using radiant colors and energetic brushwork.
Sorolla had a stroke in 1920, which left him paralyzed for three years. He died in Madrid on August 10, 1923. His home in Madrid was later turned into a museum.