Joaquin Sorolla - Lot with 5 books - 1989-2019

1.Joaquin Sorolla: Blanca Pons Sorolla PWP
2005, 342 pages in English, Hardback
Published by Philip Wilson Publishers, London, in 2005, this substantial 342-page English-language hardcover is an important monograph on Joaquín Sorolla (1863–1923), one of Spain’s greatest painters and a master of light and colour. Written by Blanca Pons-Sorolla, the artist’s great-granddaughter, the book combines biography, critical commentary and an extensive selection of reproductions of Sorolla’s paintings. It traces his artistic development from his early years through his mature period and final years, including his celebrated landscapes, portraits, beach scenes and monumental Visions of Spain commission for the Hispanic Society of America. It also contains an illustrated chronology, bibliography and index.
The edition is hardback with dust jacket, ISBN 9780856676055, and is approximately 24 × 29 cm.

2.The Painter: Joaquin Sorolla, Edmund Peel Sothebys, 1989, 264 pages in English, Hardback
This important 1989 Sotheby’s publication is a major exhibition catalogue devoted to Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863–1923), the celebrated Spanish master renowned for his luminous treatment of sunlight, colour, landscapes, portraits and Mediterranean beach scenes. The 264-page English-language hardcover was published by Philip Wilson for Sotheby’s Publications, in association with the San Diego Museum of Art and IVAM Centre Julio González, on the occasion of the major 1988–89 exhibition.
Edited by Edmund Peel, with essays by Francisco Pons Sorolla, Carmen Gracia and Priscilla E. Muller, the book includes 66 paintings and 30 important oil sketches (“apuntes”), together with extensive illustrations, a biographical chronology, bibliography and index. It is particularly valuable for collectors because it documents works from an important international Sorolla exhibition and remains frequently cited in Sotheby’s literature on Sorolla paintings.

3.Sorolla: Painted Gardens Blanca Pons Sorolla, Rizzoli Electa, 2019, 151 pages in English, Hardback
Published by Rizzoli Electa in 2019, Sorolla: Painted Gardens is a beautifully produced monograph devoted to one of Joaquín Sorolla’s most enchanting subjects: gardens. The book explores Sorolla’s fascination with gardens as places of light, colour, tranquillity and intimate reflection.
Sorolla painted extensively in the gardens of La Granja, the Alcázar of Seville, the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada, as well as the garden of his own Madrid home. These works allowed him to combine his characteristic Impressionist brushwork with architectural details, fountains, sculptures, flowers and elegantly dressed figures. The changing effects of sunlight and reflections in water are particularly prominent.
With texts by Sorolla’s great-granddaughter Blanca Pons-Sorolla, one of the leading authorities on the artist, the publication presents this garden series comprehensively for the first time. It contains around 120 colour illustrations and is an especially attractive reference for collectors and admirers of Sorolla.
Bibliographic details: 2019, Rizzoli Electa, English, hardcover, 151–152 pages, ISBN 978-0-8478-6648-9.

4.Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light, National Gallery London. 2019, 264 pages in English, Hardback
Sorolla: Spanish Master of Light is the official catalogue of the landmark 2019 exhibition at the National Gallery, London, the first major UK exhibition of Joaquín Sorolla in more than a century. The exhibition subsequently travelled to the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
The 264-page English-language hardcover presents Sorolla as one of Spain’s greatest painters and explores his remarkable ability to capture sunlight, movement and atmosphere. It covers more than 60 paintings spanning his career, including portraits, landscapes, social-realist works, gardens, beach scenes, bathers and depictions of Spanish life.
The catalogue contains contributions from leading international scholars, including Gabriele Finaldi, Javier Barón Thaidigsmann, Véronique Gerard Powell, Christopher Riopelle and Oliver Tostmann. It also includes an illustrated chronology prepared by Blanca Pons-Sorolla, the artist’s great-granddaughter.
Published by National Gallery Company in 2019, the book has ISBN 9781857096422 and approximately 200 colour illustrations.

5.Joaquin Sorolla: Lumières Espagnoles Hôtel de Gaumont, Hazan, 2020, 191 pages in French, Softcover
This beautifully illustrated exhibition catalogue accompanied the major Joaquín Sorolla: Lumières espagnoles exhibition held at the Hôtel de Caumont–Centre d’Art in Aix-en-Provence in 2020. Published by Hazan and Culturespaces, it provides an accessible introduction to Sorolla (1863–1923), one of Spain’s most celebrated painters and a master of natural light.
The book examines Sorolla’s artistic development, his creative process and the principal themes that occupied him throughout his career. Particular attention is given to his naturalistic approach, his admiration for Velázquez, and his increasingly impressionistic handling of colour, sunlight and movement. The catalogue also explores the influence of photography and Japanese prints on his compositions.
Importantly, the exhibition brought together major finished paintings alongside smaller oil sketches and drawings, demonstrating how Sorolla developed compositions and experimented with colour and light. Photographs and correspondence provide additional insight into his exceptionally energetic working methods.
The book is 191 pages, French text, illustrated, softcover, ISBN 978-2-7541-1151-5.