The Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga presents the exhibition “Sorolla en Jávea”, dedicated to the prolific painter Joaquín Sorolla (1863 – 1923) and the works he executed in the coastal town of Jávea (Alicante).

The exhibition, curated by the curator Enrique Varela, is made up of 20 paintings from the Sorolla Museum that the Valencian artist painted during his four stays -in 1896, 1898, 1900 and 1905- in Javea.

What at first was nothing more than a simple commission -to make panels dedicated to the work of the grape for the Chilean politician Rafael Errázuriz- became a passionate source of inspiration for the Spanish artist. This passion is evident in the letters that Sorolla wrote to his wife and in which he described with emotion the greatness of his destiny: «Jávea sublime, immense, the best I know to paint. […] It has everything I desire and more».

Sorolla was used to the flat and sandy seascapes of the Valencian beaches, however, in Jávea he finds a space in which the maritime and the mountainous – Massif de Montgó- formed imposing cliffs, wide ravines and flowery islets. In this space the painter’s art is transformed; themes such as the peaceful nature, the genre scenes of fishermen or the joy of childhood remains in the painter’s production but his plastic evolves. The beauty of the landscape, the sea and the rocks of Javea make Sorolla experiment with new lighting effects -on the sea and the rocks-, an increasing chromatic intensity and a flamboyant variability of nuances and contrasts.

Of this selection of paintings we can highlight the canvas Rocks of Javea and the white boat (1905), made in the last summer that the artist paints in Javea. In this work, one of the most emblematic of Sorolla’s production, the painter manages to capture the strength and impetus of the Levantine sea through the daring composition and the delicate tonality used.

Food for the Eyes.

Text: Iustinian Bolohan.

Photo: Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga.

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