Joaquín Sorolla Exhibition at the Fundación Bancaja, Valencia

Recently, I had the great pleasure of visiting the Joaquín Sorolla exhibition at the Fundación Bancaja in Valencia with nine of my students. It was a truly remarkable experience. For me, it was especially thrilling to encounter several paintings that have long remained in the Sorolla family’s private collection, works that earned recognition and awards in academic exhibitions not only in Spain but across Europe and the United States.

KNOW DALI & How Science Influenced his Art * Lecture & Slideshow

EVENT DETAILS
Monday, November 3, 2025
17:00 H - 5pm
10€
BENITACHELL 
(Boardroom of Benitachell Properties SL)
Carrer Pare Plácido, 57, 03726 


INTRODUCTION

MASKS OF THE YOUNG PICASSO


I AM STRUCK by the composition and spatial distancing of the characters in Picasso’s 1900 painting, "Pierrot and Colombina", which creates an interplay that seems to mirror his own sense of being an outsider. Pierrot and Colombina, the central figures in this work, are not inventions of Picasso’s imagination but rather theatrical archetypes from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte, which migrated across Europe and became immensely popular in Paris by the late 19th century.

Picasso’s Child with a Dove

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.

FALL 2025 LECTURE AGENDA

Mondays @ 5pm 
(Boardroom of Benitachell Properties SL) 

JÁVEA Historical WALK


Explore and Learn About JÁVEA by visiting its historical architecture and monuments 
* Guide * Arts Historian, Educator & Author - Karla Ingleton Darocas, B.A. (Hons) 

BOOKING INFO & FORM

ANTONI GAUDI * Part One * Lecture & Slideshow

 
EVENT DETAILS 
Monday, November 10, 2025
17:00 H - 5pm
10€ Donation
BENITACHELL
(Boardroom of Benitachell Properties SL)
Carrer Pare Plácido, 57, 03726



INTRODUCTION


ANTONI GAUDI * Part Two * Lecture & Slideshow

 
EVENT DETAILS 
Monday, November 17, 2025
17:00 H - 5pm
10€ Donation
BENITACHELL
(Boardroom of Benitachell Properties SL)
Carrer Pare Plácido, 57, 03726



INTRODUCTION


Spain’s Arts & Architecture Appreciation Classes

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Discover Spain’s Arts & Architecture with Appreciation Classes by Karla Ingleton Darocas, BA (Hons)

Unlock the beauty and stories behind Spain’s most iconic artists and architects — from the bold brush strokes of Velázquez and Goya to the visionary designs of Gaudí and beyond.

These inspiring classes take you on a visual journey through Spain’s great art movements, masterworks, and architectural marvels.


🏛️ What You’ll Experience

✔️ Explore the lives and works of Spain’s legendary artists

✔️ Decode the symbolism, styles, and techniques of major art movements

✔️ Learn how architecture reflects history, power, faith, and innovation

✔️ Enjoy captivating full-screen slideshows and passionate storytelling

✔️ Join a friendly, curious community of culture lovers


📍 Class Info

🗓 Mondays at 5:00 PM

📌 Venue: Boardroom at Benitachell Properties SLC
Carrer Pare Plácido, 57, Planta Baja, 03726 Benitachell, Alicante, Spain

📚 Classes resume in September 2025

Instructor: Karla Ingleton Darocas, BA (Hons)
📧 Email: info@SpainLifestyle.com
📱 WhatsApp: +34 648 156 066


🌟 Art comes alive when you understand its roots.

Join to see Spain through a new lens — insightful, inspiring, unforgettable.


Discover Sorolla: Bancaja Foundation


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. 

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APPRECIATE ART & CULTURE * LOVE SPAIN
Resource Books written by
Karla Ingleton Darocas 
and published by
SpainLifestyle.com 

CLICK  HERE *

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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

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.