17:00 H - 5pm
INTRODUCTION
IN THIS LECTURE, Karla will trace Joaquín Sorolla’s early artistic journey, beginning with his education and training in academicism. This movement, rooted in naturalistic, narrative, and realistic painting, was considered the “official” style of European art from the 1600s onward. Governed by strict conventions and a fixed aesthetic, academic art demanded not only technical mastery but also a clear moral message.
After excelling in religious and historical subjects, Sorolla turned his attention to a very different theme: the harsh realities of life and the struggles of society’s most vulnerable. This marked his entry into social realism, a bold and unconventional choice for a young artist at the start of his career. While many of his contemporaries sought fame through depictions of idealized beauty and classical legends, Sorolla focused instead on portraying the injustices and hardships brought about by the Industrial Revolution. His works in this genre, often somber and unsettling, were drawn directly from his own observations of real life. These powerful social realist paintings earned Sorolla several prizes, boosting his reputation and prestige across the art world.
However at home, he balanced this critical success with more commercial work. Through costumbrismo, a regional Valencian style infused with romanticism, he painted familiar local scenes and traditions. These genre paintings, popular among collectors, provided a steady source of income—essential for supporting his wife and three children.
Academicism: formal or conventional rules and traditions in art based on theoretical knowledge rather than demonstrable knowledge
Social realism: pictorial interpretation that focuses on the most dramatic circumstances of the lower classes, combined with the artistic realism of the Baroque period and the historical arguments and narrative content that emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Costumbrismo: pictorial interpretation of local everyday life, customs and traditions, combined with both the artistic realism of the Baroque and the charm of Romanticism.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the lecture. The detail and amount of information you covered was enormous.I am a Sorolla fan and have painted many of his works, but do enjoy the early paintings. They have a different style and show what a talented painter he was.I look forward to Karla's next lecture."- Best wishes, James, Javea"Fascinating lecture by Karla. I almost felt like an insider to the paintings presented, most of which I had not seen before. I became fascinated with the "Costumbrista" era of Sorolla's Spanish paintings. I absolutely loved them. I appreciate the way Karla presents the information. Her knowledge gives you a wonderful perspective and you are grasping for more. I feel fortunate I ran across Karla on the internet, because living in Valencia, I didn't have the opportunity to "attend" her classroom sessions until the Pandemic, when she started on Zoom.Muchas gracias Karla, can't wait for the next one."-Mimi Carrera, Valencia city"Karla's lecture are so full of the historical context of Spain. I enjoyed the Costumbrista style masterpieces of Sorolla. His academic work was beautiful too and when you keep in mind of his young age when he was painting these works, amazing! The historical philosophies of Spain and Europe at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century comes to life in the absolute master works of the great and unique Sorolla. He formed a unique style with inspirations from master painters from Velazquez to the modern era of Monet."-Trudi van Dorp, Benitachell"Another fascinating lecture from Karla on Sorolla's work. It was fascinating to learn about the need to produce popular regional paintings to make money while developing his professional reputation through social realism paintings. As Karla talked us through the paintings, I learned about the links between the sciences and arts in the period. As the world adjusted to the discoveries of Darwin, artists began to focus on naturalism. Sorolla walked a tightrope between this new world and the traditions shown in his costumbrismo works. Another fascinating talk leaving us with much to reflect on."- Denise Bayes, Barcelona
"I really enjoy the in-depth view about the life and times of the artist Sorolla. All aspects of this presentation from his life and times to the information about Spanish history around each of the times of a particular period of his artwork was fascinating. But more importantly, is how much knowledge Karla passes on to her 'students'. The presentations are really fun and the time goes too fast!!! I always recommend her lectures, her knowledge, and her enthusiasm."
* Janis Turner
"I learned about a painter that I had no knowledge of, from his formative years right through to his death, through the styles and painters that influenced him as his work developed. The paintings were the star of the show. Very inspiring work, especially his use and rendering of light. Beautiful. I enjoyed Karla's informality and organisation and I would recommend her to a friend."
* Debra Cazalet, Pego
"I had seen some of the work of Sorolla before and was so delighted to have attended Karla's very interesting lecture on this great Spanish painter. His connection with Javea was of particular interest and you gave us a true illustration of his unusual technique and skill."
* Lorna Ainsworth, Javea
"Karla has a great knowledge of both techniques and cultural history. Sorolla is of great interest to me because I am a Javea resident and so I have a local Javea connection."
*Lorna O’Connor, Javea
*******APPRECIATE ART & CULTURE * LOVE SPAIN
Resource Books written by
Karla Ingleton Darocas
and published by
SpainLifestyle.com
Resource Books written by
Karla Ingleton Darocas
and published by
SpainLifestyle.com
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