Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863 - 1923) "Still Life. Flowers Still Life" (circa 1880)

Oil on canvas. Signed and initialled in the lower right corner "J Sorolla". Executed between 1880 and 1882. 

With a 19th century wood frame.

Size: 77.5 x 44.5 cm; Size with frame: 86 x 53.5 cm

Provenance: 

- Valencian private collection

Literature:  

Francisco Javier Pérez Rojas, professor and Art Historian, talks about this work in the catalogue "Sorolla and the rebirth of the Valencian school" produced on the occasion of the exhibition of the same name:

"Flower painting has a long tradition in Valencia, given that floral motifs adorned the silk brocades produced in the city. Sorolla had a real passion for flowers and commented on this to Clotilde in one of his letters. [ ]. This explains the abundant number of still lifes that have been catalogued from Sorolla's youthful years, as well as their quality. Among them is this unpublished Still Life (c. 1880 - 1882), which depicts a Chinese "Hu" vase with flowers and a small jewel or bracelet on a table. In this space, the copious bouquet, composed of bluebells, jasmine and pansies, is transformed into a burst of light and chromatic colour by the combination of all these delicate and fleeting plants. The verticality of this composition introduces a variation on the horizontality of other catalogued floral still lifes. [ ]"

Restoration by Darley Auctions

The restoration was carried out by one of the greatest professionals in this field worldwid

 Work done

- Frame replacement for a new one made to measure

- Reinforcement of perimeter edges

- Cleaning of pictorial layers       

- Cleaning the back    

Bibliography: 

- Sorolla and the rebirth of the Valencian School. By Javier Pérez Rojas. Chap II, Sorolla's beginnings. Exhibition and academic context. Fig. 10. 

Catalogue note: 

- With certificate made by Blanca Pons-Sorolla Ruiz de la Prada, issued in 2024.

- Included in the catalogue raisonné of the artist with reference BPS 18.