Sorolla exhibition at National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
This extraordinary exhibition is on in the Sainsbury Wing until 7th July 2019. Sorolla:Spanish Master of Light is a huge exhibition of huge paintings. You needed to be wealthy to have big enough rooms in your house to display one of these.
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863–1923) got into his stride as a painter from the 1890s. He is on a par with John Singer Sargent. He was prolific, painted quickly, and produced realistic paintings that are often 8 – 12 feet across, You have to actually see them to appreciate the colour, the light, and the freshness. He was internationally famous in his day, but then slipped from view. His last big exhibition in London was over 100 years ago.
It’s cheaper to book online in advance (£12), and I paid £7 with an Art Fund card. Book tickets here. Google sends you to the gallery shop from which it’s impossible to buy a ticket!. At the entrance a woman was trying to shake down people to donate. Despite that, I’m going to recommend this particular exhibition. I thought it was exceptionally good.