Court of the Dances, Alcázar, Sevilla

Court of the Dances, Alcazar, Sevilla is one of the four paintings done by Joaquin Sorolla in 1910. All the paintings cover garden scenes and townscapes of his hometown of Seville. His entire painting career was based on several views of this city.

All the paintings were done on canvas. They all retained the brilliance and captured the general atmosphere of the town. However, the second series of the four images were more traditional than the earlier images. In this image, the painter uses a mix of colour and light to show the splendour of his Salazar Palace in Seville. Viewers can pinpoint the green fence by the pathway and sparkles of the sunlight as it peers through the fence. The posh columns of the palace court are also identifiable with the Moorish pathway and brick boundaries of the path showing clearly in the foreground. In addition, from the foreground, it is possible to peer into the palace and see the glamour of the items and decorations places at the entrance. This is an accurate depiction of them affluence that was afforded by the palace. Besides, it is also possible to determine that the palace is enormous, based on the number of pillars that can be seen from the front.

The Court of Dances, just like the rest of the paintings, is a celebration of the glamour of the town of Sevilla where he lived. It shows the perfect balance of the riches with the green beauty of fertile land. He has expertly hidden the shadows while still giving the painting a realistic look. The colour reflections show that nature is always changing and can be used to showcase manmade beauty as it is. Joaquin's image was not sold or given out during his lifetime. This and other paintings hang in his studio and home. This particular painting has a frame that was created by Jose Cano's company, which was located in Madrid. The company supplied most of the frames for his artworks. This piece of artwork is not currently available for public viewing.

Joaquin took up a rather classic approach to painting. His Spanish masters inspired him after visiting the Prado Museum in Madrid in 1881. He was particularly interested in the works of El Greco and Diego Valazquez, both of which greatly influenced his style of painting. His love for urban places was inspired by his visit to Paris in 1885. The artistic flair of the city blossomed at this time. Therefore, works by different artists showcasing natural urban spaces in Paris partly led him down the style of painting.