Free Museums - The Travel Free Guide to Spain - page 42

18.Sorolla Museum, Madrid
Joaquín Sorolla is one of the enduring Spanish artists of the 19 th Century. In an era dom-
inated by abstract art, he devoted himself to realism and a variety of impressionism called
luminism .
Born in Valencia, he came into his own in Madrid, where he studied the works of Velázquez
(many of which are exhibited at the Prado Museum). Gifted with technique, his paintings
immediately catch the eye with their realism and skillful use of color and light. His preferred
themes were everyday scenes and seascapes.
The museum is located at the house where the artist lived with his family in the later years
of his life. The museum's first director was a son of the artist. The collection comprises not
only paintings by Sorolla, but also many personal objects that help visitors to better under-
stand his time and life, as well as works of art that belonged to him. All of Soroya's artistic
stages are represented in the museum, from his youth to his last years, in what is his most
important and comprehensive collection of his work.
Image Credit: One of the paintings exhibited at the museum. Image by Szilas .
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