IN 1901, PABLO PICASSO was barely twenty years old, brilliant, ambitious, and already restless. He had left Spain to chase success in Paris, where modern art was reinventing itself in the cafés and galleries of Montmartre. But that same year, his closest friend, Carlos Casagemas, took his own life, a loss that left Picasso heartbroken and profoundly changed. Standing between youthful optimism and personal grief, he created Child with a Dove, a painting that captures both innocence and the first shadow of sorrow.
THIS OCTOBER 2025, we have a very special opportunity to continue our exploration of Joaquín Sorolla’s art outside the classroom. As many of you know, the Sorolla Museum in Madrid is temporarily closed for renovation and expansion. Because of this, an extraordinary collection of Sorolla’s masterpieces will be traveling to Valencia for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at the Bancaja Foundation, opening on October 3, 2025.
The exhibition will bring 60 of Sorolla’s most representative masterpieces, including two of my all-time favorites such as Paseo a la orilla del mar (Walk by the Sea) and El baño del caballo (The Horse’s Bath). These are rarely shown outside the Sorolla Museum, so to see them in Valencia is truly fabulous.
* CLICK HERE *
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.
BREAKING NEWS!
The Bancaja Foundation of Valencia has extended the fabulous exhibition “Scenes and Landscapes in Valencian Painting. 19th and 20th Centuries”, which opened on May 9, 2025, until October 19, 2025!
This is such an exciting opportunity to dive into the rich world of Valencian art and experience masterpieces up close.
Among the incredible works on display is El Beso by Bernardo Ferrándiz Bádenes, a painting that captures all the warmth, tradition, and storytelling of the costumbrista style.
AT THE CENTRO CULTURAL BANCAJA in Valencia, I found myself once again face to face with Joaquín Sorolla’s El grito del Palleter (The Cry of the Palleter), painted in 1884. It was included in the exhibition Scenes and Landscapes in Valencian Painting. 19th and 20th Centuries, a marvelous collection of works that shows the breadth of romantic and realist traditions in Valencian art.
RECENTLY, when I was at a fabulous art show in Valencia, I got to witness up close the grandeur of a social realist and luminous painting by Vicent Castell i Domènech (1871–1934). It struck me immediately as a tribute to the value, suffering, and eventual uprising of the Catalonian reapers.
If you enjoy exploring towns rich in history, distinctive architecture, and authentic local experiences, Sueca, a medium-sized city in the Valencian province, should be on your itinerary. Just 30 minutes south of Valencia city, this charming destination offers a surprising mix of agricultural heritage, Modernist architecture, and artisan chocolate-making.
*Report & Photos by Art Historian and Educator Karla Darocas, B.A. (Hons)*
