Naturalism and Politics in the Paintings of Joaquín Sorolla: Focusing on the Works of the 1890s

• Autores: Fumichi Hirano
• Localización: Estudios de arte español y latinoamericano, Nº. 21, 2020, págs. 25-40
• Idioma: japonés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923), a painter who represented Spain from the late 19th to the early 20th century, received awards at many exhibitions and gained an international reputation. It is clear that the award-winning painter was conscious of French paintings at the time and particularly influenced by the Naturalism paintings starting with the literary background of Émile Zola in the mid- 19th century.

    Recent research following the reevaluation of te 19th century paintings reveals that the characteristics of Naturalism involve choosing everyday scenary as the subject of the work and using photographs to paint. It is also suggested that the paintings were used for politicals purposes and connected to Nationalism.

    Sorolla's work in the 1890s included paintings of Spain's social problems -with which he was familiar- and the coastal scenery of Valencia, his birthplace. He also used photigraphs in the painting process. Thus, the question remains: It is possible to connect the political use of paintings with the Nationalism in Sorolla's works? This paper examines the Sorolla's relationship with Vicente Blanco Ibáñez, a novelist and Republican who may have had some political influence on Sorolla, and highlights the connections with the artist's works. Moreover, this paper aims to clarify the political nature of the artist and his works by ubderstanding them from the social context of the time and examining posters and the illustrations that have not been studied enough.