Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida

A painter and graphic artist especially known for his lighting effects on canvas and rich coloration, Joaquin Sorolla Y Bastida was from Valencia, Spain. His subjects were portraits, landscapes and genre, and he also did book illustrations.

He began studying art in Valencia at the age of 15 then at age 18, he went to Madrid to study and copy Old Master paintings in the museums. He later traveled to Rome, where he developed his distinct ability for capturing the effects of light.

When he returned to Paris, he discovered demand for his work, especially after his entries in the 1901 Exposition Universelle. Sorolla built an international reputation on his impressionist scenes depicting the brilliant light and colors of Spain. In the United States, Archer Milton Huntington, promoting the Hispanic Society of America, commissioned Sorolla to do a series of paintings about Spain. The artist devoted seven years (1912-1919) to the multi-paneled work.

His house in Madrid is now the Museo Sorolla, dedicated to the works of his career.

(Source: www.getty.edu)