I have just received a new book well worth checking out, “Joaquin Sorolla” by Blanca Pons-Sorolla. The book is filled with astonishing images. I’ve of course seen his work in museums before and have heard many artists I admire (including Barry John Raybold (Virtual Art Academy) and Ted Georschner) rave about his work.

JARDÍN DE LA CASA SOROLLA, 1920 by Joaquin Sorolla

I found many images fascinating, but unfortunately many are in private collections, so I can’t find Internet images of them. One example is “El Cabo de San Antonio. Javea, 1896” on page 101 of the book. The image reads like a striking photograph and yet when you look closer you see how “painterly” he was. That to me as an ideal I’m striving for: two paintings in one. From a distance, a striking image of reality (more so than can be accomplished with the limitations of photography, in terms of accurate values, color, etc) and another up close, one of fluid brush strokes, marbled color combinations, etc.

These are paintings that truly inspire me.

To see more, visit the Sorolla Museum web site (Madrid).

MAR Y ROCAS DE SAN ESTEBAN, ASTURIAS by Joaquin Sorolla