A Journey Through Sorolla's Portraits, the New Exhibition at the Prado Museum

Let yourself be enveloped by the lights and contrasts that illuminate the art of the Valencian painter Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923); it's a perfect plan for this year 2023, which has been declared Joaquín Sorolla Year in honor of the centenary of his death. The Museo Nacional del Prado is paying tribute to the painter through an exhibition of his portraits in room 60 of the Villanueva building, dedicated to the Presentation of 19th Century Collections.

Getting lost in the labyrinths of the museum will allow us to discover this magnificent exhibition that showcases the more portrait-focused side of the painter. Until June 18, we can visit the collection, which is complemented by works that are part of the permanent collection in rooms 60 A and 62 A, which gather portraits of 19th-century artists, including four painted by Sorolla.

We must travel back in time to understand the evolution of the impressionist painter who became a national reference throughout the 20th century with his most special and iconic portraits. Through this journey, we will discover in room 60 the portrait of Manuel Bartolomé Cossío, a member of the first Board of Trustees of the Prado Museum, as well as the portrait of Francisco Giner de los Ríos, both of which are part of Spain's historical-artistic heritage, not forgetting the recently acquired work by Martín Rico.

Naturalness is the defining characteristic of the artist's portraits, which can be appreciated in the 18 exhibited portraits by the author at the Prado Museum, out of a total of 23 that the museum holds by the artist. In addition to those previously mentioned, there will also be lesser-known works by the author such as María Figueroa dressed as a lady-in-waiting or Jaime García Banús. The vast number of works he painted and the quality they hold made him one of the great internationally recognized portraitists in the first decade of the 20th century.

The combination of blacks and grays, as well as the certain ambiguity that hides behind his portraits, gives us clues about the naturalism and realism with which the painter worked in his artworks. Both his portraits and self-portraits detail the traits and personality of the author, who used the technique of light and contrasts to create images full of life and details. His profound perception of the individual makes it so that in his paintings, what primarily radiates is the natural and vivid.

Velázquez was one of his greatest inspirations, from whom he learned the use of contrasts and lights, and he was able to demonstrate this in two of his best portraits, namely The Painter Aureliano Beruete and María Teresa Moret. Also noteworthy are María Figueroa, dressed as a lady-in-waiting, and The Actress María Guerrero as The Foolish Lady. In all of them, he managed to capture the physiognomic and personal traits of the subjects portrayed. Among his favorite personalities are figures of writers, doctors, and painters.

His desire for capturing moments and his loose brushstrokes, along with his preference for painting outdoors, made Joaquín Sorolla a globally recognized artistic reference, whose painting has been linked to photography since his beginnings as a painter of light.