Señora de Sorolla in Black

Señora de Sorolla in Black is a painting from the early 20th century created by Spanish artist Joaquin Sorolla.

This famous painter was born in the mid 19th century and died twenty years into the 20th century. Señora de Sorolla in Black would have been one of his later paintings. He was skilled in many artistic areas, such as portraits, landscapes and themes surrounding history and society. This artist utilised the Spanish sun in many of his paintings which often beamed down upon the subject. He also typically painted sunlight upon water and the theme of light and sunshine runs through a lot of his works.

Señora de Sorolla in Black is now in The Metropolitan Museum of Art or The Met, the biggest museum of art in the USA. It is also the fourth most popular museum in the world, bringing in one of the largest volume of visitors to museums. The main collection of The Met, of which Señora de Sorolla in Black is a part of, contains over two million works. The Met was opened in 1870, just a few years after Joaquin Sorolla was born.

Señora de Sorolla in Black is an oil painting, created on canvas. Joaquin Sorolla's wife, Clotilde García del Castillo, is the subject of the painting. The two of them were very close, she often posed as his muse, traveled with him on journeys, kept on track of his finances, and he confided in her often. Clotidle is wearing a heavy dark black evening dress with frilled sleeves, high shoulders and a large skirt. Clotidle is within their home in Spain's capital, Madrid. Within the background, Joaquin Sorolla has replicated of one of his earlier works, a saint, which he created in 1888, within the first few months of his marriage to Clotidle. It is hanging upon the wall, in a smaller form.

He pays homage to Velázquez, a Spanish master from the 17th century with the hint of a canvas in the far right of the painting. This painting steps away from Joaquin Sorolla's traditional works of landscapes, historical references and the use of the sun to turn to a much more personal subject. Joaquin Sorolla often praised his wife for how she supported him and accompanied him throughout his endeavours, this is a dedication to her. An insight into his home and the love of his life.