The Silent Suffering of Childhood in Sorolla's Spain

DURING THE PERIOD of the great Valencian painter and humanist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923), children's health and social problems were an important issue, and his artwork reflects the harsh realities faced by the most vulnerable members of society. Sorolla's compassionate and often stark portrayals of sick or impoverished children, such as in "Sad Inheritance" (1899), served as a powerful form of social commentary, bringing to light the devastating effects of diseases like polio.

El Beso and Ferrándiz Bádenes

El Beso by Bernardo Ferrándiz Bádenes, a painting that captures all the warmth, tradition, and storytelling of the costumbrista style.

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT XÀBIA’S CORDELEROS?

WHEN I AM taking participants on my walking class around the old town of Xàbia (Jávea Historical Walk), I often remember to tell them about the hemp industry that was once a thriving part of village life. 

WHAT WAS CLOTILDE WEARING ON HER STROLL THROUGH THE KING’S GARDENS?

In the summer of 1907, Joaquín Sorolla moved with his entire family to La Granja de San Ildefonso, where he had been commissioned to paint a portrait of King Alfonso XIII. During this stay, Sorolla also captured a portrait of his wife, Clotilde, dressed in the latest Parisian Belle Époque fashions, as she leisurely strolled through the palace gardens.