Wednesday 8 November sees the opening of the special exhibition Joaquín Sorolla – Light in Motion. This is the first-ever solo exhibition in the Nordic region devoted to the work of the Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla. Featuring one of Spain’s most important painters, it marks both the 100th anniversary of the artist’s death and the state visit of the Spanish royal family to Denmark.
In November, for the first time in 42 years, the Spanish royal family will pay a state visit to Denmark. In the light of this visit, and the fact that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of the painter Joaquín Sorolla, in collaboration with Museo Sorolla, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation is presenting an exhibition devoted to the artist.
Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) was one of Spain’s greatest artists. Although up there with the likes of painters such as Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Goya and Pablo Picasso, internationally speaking his oeuvre is probably not as famous as that of those other Spanish masters.
This is the first-ever solo exhibition in Denmark of the work of Joaquín Sorolla. The Museo Sorolla has loaned 17 of the artist’s distinctive works to the Glyptotek. Actually, the work of Joaquín Sorolla was exhibited at the Glyptotek on one previous occasion: a single work featured in Den Internationale Kunstudstilling (The International Art Exhibition) (1897), when the museum was inaugurated.
Sorolla is famous as ‘the master of light’. He is famous for his depictions of the sea and beach scenes, landscapes and portraits, all of which motifs are featured in this exhibition. In the context of Denmark, Sorolla’s work has much in common with the work of the Skagen Painters: in particularly, that of Peder Severin Krøyer. Sorolla and Krøyer were contemporaries, and Sorolla is often referred to colloquially as ‘the Spanish Krøyer’.
Joaquín Sorolla – Light in Motion features key works from the collection of the Museo Sorolla in Madrid. The exhibition was the initiative of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation in collaboration with the Museo Sorolla. The exhibition is curated by Enrique Juncosa.
Sorolla’s paintings will be presented in dialogue with five works by five Spanish contemporary artists from different generations. All the works relate to Sorolla’s oeuvre. The contemporary artists are: Soledad Sevilla, Miquel Barceló, Juan Uslé, Miki Leal and Belén Rodríguez.
The exhibition runs from 8 November 2023 to 3 March 2024.