Malvarrosa

With its brilliant sunlight and vibrant color, Malvarrosa fully expresses Sorolla's signature plein-air Naturalism. Throughout his life, Sorolla returned repeatedly to Spain's Mediterranean coast where he could paint outdoors and fully immerse himself in life by the sea. The title of the present lot takes its name from Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, a place of special significance for the artist. Sorolla always considered Valencia, where he had grown up, his true home and Malvarrosa beach in particular features prominently in the artist's oeuvre. In Malvarrosa, Sorolla honed his abilities as an artist eventually becoming 'the master of light' as Claude Monet came to describe him.

Shown at the artist's debut exhibition in the United States, held in New York at the Hispanic Society of America in 1909, Malvarrosa, and the accompanying paintings on view, captured the public's attention. The exhibition brought Sorolla both critical and popular acclaim in the United States, so much so that he returned two years later for a second show in Chicago.

We are grateful to Blanca Pons Sorolla for confirming the authenticity of this work and for assisting in the cataloguing of this entry.