Sargent & Sorolla

by Elaine Kilmurray, Felipe Garin, Tomas Facundo

Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) studied painting from the age of 15 in his native Valencia, then in Madrid and eventually Rome. On his return to Spain, he became the major portraitist of his time, and worked with subjects including King Alphonso and Queen Victoria Eugenie. Like John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), whose career was unfolding on American shores, Sorolla remained firmly outside of the Impressionist vanguard and was all but indifferent to other popular artistic movements of the day, but nevertheless achieved international renown in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Both artists focused on society portraits but also undertook independent work and commissions for cultural institutions. They encountered one another occasionally, and held one another in very special regard. Sargent & Sorolla highlights the affinities between not just their personal and professional lives but their work itself: the expressive use of color and light, the development of a Modernist sensibility from Naturalist techniques, and the tremendous renown and commercial success each man reached independently. An essential exploration of how the careers of the two great artists ran parallel to each other, intersected, and also diverged.

Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate Sargent for being able to paint arches and doorways and windows and hands and such the way in mere moments what it will take me like the next 33 yrs to learn how to do. Bastard and his effortless grace. Sorolla has annoyingly cheerful brights but can weirdly paint a wet, sandy butt nicely. I mean, painting liquid-covered bodies. That's skill. Nonetheless, I like the dark cast sculpture paintings the best, or the paintings of stairs and steps. Because like, I guess I would rather look at a slab of imitation marble than some upper-class early 20th century privileged, gorgeous lady. Oh and since this book's in French...