Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida (February 27, 1863- August 10, 1923) was an accomplished Valencian Spanish painter. His specialties were portraits, landscapes, and historical paintings. Sorolla began studying painting when he was fifteen years old. At the age of twenty-two, he received a grant which allowed him to study painting in Rome. He received a gold medal at the National Exhibition in Madrid and first prize at the Chicago International Exhibition. Sorolla's most critically acclaimed work, Sad Inheritance, which depicts crippled children bathing by the sea, earned him the Medal of Honor at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. His greatest success was his exhibition at the Galeries Georges Petit in Paris in 1906. The critically acclaimed show earned Sorolla his appointment as Officer of the Legion of Honour. He is considered the greatest Spanish Impressionist artist. Read more about Joaquin Sorolla and his work at your Milwaukee Public Library by clicking here.
