Joaquin Sorolla
in Barcelona
Joaquin Sorolla
in Barcelona
IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION
SOROLLA - A NEW DIMENSION
Immersive exhibition
Sorolla – A new dimension
at the Centre d’Art Amatller
extended until 15 Septmeber 2024
To be honest, I had no real idea who Joaquin Sorolla was until the end of 2023. I’d heard the name before and had certainly seen some of his paintings, but it wasn’t until I visited an exhibition of his work in Madrid in November 2023 that I was hooked. Beautiful paintings – impressionistic and full of love – turned me into a Sorolla fan.
And then, a few months later, I learnt that this immersive exhibition would be held in Barcelona as part of the Sorolla Year (centenary of his death in 2023). So I had to go!
And here are my impressions and my rating.
Immersive Exhibition
Online Tickets
Sorolla exhibition from
EUR 10.50(Prices vary on weekdays) Admission to the immersive Sorolla exhibition incl. VR glasses
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at a glance
WHO WAS
JOAQUIN SOROLLA
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (27 February 1863 Valencia – 10 August 1923 Cercedilla) was a Spanish Impressionist painter. He is best known for his innovative use of light and colour, his Mediterranean beach paintings and his numerous portraits.
He did not have it easy as a child, as his parents died of cholera when he was 2 years old, and he was orphaned. He lived with his aunt and was supposed to become a locksmith like his uncle. However, the boss recognised his talent for drawing and thus gave him the impetus for his artistic career. From then on, he took drawing lessons and travelled to Madrid to copy large works in the Prado.
During his studies, he met “Tono” (Joan Antonio), the son of the photographer Garcia Peris. He learnt to know and love this medium from him.
He then fell in love with Tono’s sister, Clotilde. Their love story can be wonderfully traced in Sorolla’s many works. They married in 1888 and moved from Valencia to Madrid. Together, they had three children: Maria, Joaquin and Elena. These can also be seen again and again in his works…
THE LIFE OF SOROLLA
THE EXHIBITION
In the exhibition, you can learn more about the different stages of his life.
We see his development as a painter – also on the international art scene. He travelled to Italy – Venice and Rome, to France – Paris and even to New York!
We learn about his educational methods – especially for his daughters. They did not have to go to an official school that followed the religious and political doctrines of the time, but went to a free institution. Here they learnt on an equal footing, including painting, languages and how to reflect and think freely.
Or we learn something about his attitude to clothes by marvelling at a work and the dress of his daughter Elena. He brought her the dress from Paris, and it was very different from the fashion in Madrid – it was comfortable, flowing on the body and completely without a corset. A dress that was a sign of freedom for women at the time. And he supported that.
The development of colours is also explained on a wall panel.
BECOME ACTIVE YOURSELF
And then we can get active ourselves. We can sit down at one of the many tables and pick up some colours ourselves. As in the previous exhibition at the Centre Amattler, our picture is then projected onto the large screen.
It was great to see how even the slightly older visitors sat down to paint.
And then there are two photo stations… I thought it was a great idea at first, because the fact that we were transformed in the style of the artist’s works was wonderful back then at IDEAL. But here we look more like orange-red thick comics… Or was that just me?
The surprise came afterwards: The photo is shown on a screen for all to see… 🙂
THE IMMERSIVE SHOW & VR GLASSES
Before we reach the immersive area one floor below, we pass through a small room in which a few original works by Sorolla are also on display. However, I don’t think these are among his top oeuvre…
And then the show started. The “show” lasts about 25 minutes and is shown in a loop. Just stay seated until you’re back where you started.
I really liked the start – we’re sitting by the sea, the waves play around our feet, and we see crabs and shells in the sand. We also see what I think are Sorolla’s most beautiful works: the ones on the Valencia beach. We then travel through the country and the world with his works. We see gondolas in Venice, streets in Paris and New York, traditional Spanish festivals and so on. Up to this point, I have enjoyed the immersive experience, but then we are simply shown his many portraits of Spanish men and women. This part is a bit boring…
Then it’s on to the last station: the VR glasses. Everything is explained to you, and then you sit there and immerse yourself in the world of some of Sorolla’s works. You walk between orange trees and along Valencia’s beach and see some of the characters from his works. The 8 minutes fly by.
CONCLUSION
I think the exhibition is a success. You get to know an artist that perhaps not everyone is familiar with.
You learn a lot about him and his life and with this knowledge, you can continue through the exhibition and become active yourself. And then just sit back and let the pictures in the immersive experience take effect on you.
I was there for 1 hour and 20 minutes and paid EUR 10.50 on a Tuesday. The value for money was perfect here!
But beware: the exhibition is EUR 7 pricier at the weekend.
Your Céline
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2024
