Cristina del Rosso: Master Sorolla’s Home

(Image: C. del Rosso)

Madrid is full of little precious museums and many of them, far away from its touristic routes. Believe me: it’s worth it to go beyond the Reina, el Prado and Thyssen.

The Sorolla Museum is one of them. It’s fantastic because it used to be his own home. The artist bought the terrain in 1909 and he would be in charge personally of everything: the design, the decoration… Even when out of town, he would take care of every single detail through letters; for example, the façade was designed by him. He would take objects from everywhere he’d travel to. In 1910 he bought Beruete the nearest terrain to have more room for his gardens. In 1911 the house would be finished.

Sorolla, Clotilde sitting
on the sofa, 1910

He always wanted it to be a Museum. Clotilde, knowing her husband’s desire, names in her will their son Joaquín as first director and lends him the terrain as his new home. She died in 1929. The transfer to the State was carried out in 1931.

When you cross the door, you leave behind all the city’s hustle. It’s pleasant to stroll through the gardens himself designed with flowers coming from everywhere, like Alhambra’s myrtus, still existing today. Nowadays they are a bit different because the light conditions have changed because of new buildings being built nearby; but they are still pretty all year long, when snowy, when sunny, during winter and during spring…

Sorolla, House Sorolla's Garden, 1918

There are 3 gardens, each one offers a unique identity and as a whole they reveal his love for Andalusia: the entrance garden is more like a patio and alludes to the Alcázar of Sevilla with its fountain in the centre; the second one, with its columns, the robed Roman in the background, the old tiles, the “riad” and its fountain, references to the Generalife of Granada; and the third one has an Italian-Andalusian spirit, with a water tank and a pergola. You will come across with sculptures that could work as a preview of what you find indoors.

House Sorolla's living room (Image: Museo Sorolla)

The whole building keeps still today Sorolla’s family life spirit. The ground floor maintains its original furniture: its living room, the dining room with friezes painted by him, the kitchen with his pottery collection and the Andalusian patio, of Cordovan inspiration, which supplies the whole floor with natural light.

Sorolla's Atelier, Room III (Image: Wikipedia)

Entering the ateliers was the most exciting part! They are connected with the rest of the house, but they have an independent entry. They have zenithal light. The first atelier was used to mount canvases and frames, and today it’s used as a hall for temporary exhibitions. The second one was where he’d receive his clients and showed his paintings. The third and last one was where he used to work. There’s where we can find his last unfinished painting, with the palette and paintings just as he left them before having his hemiplegia attack. It will surprise you to see all the walls covered by paintings: it was the trend by then. He’d work in his atelier only in Autumn and Winter, since he would go to paint outdoors as soon as he could.

Sorolla's Atelier, Room III
(Image: Wikipedia)

The 1^st floor had all the rooms and the sewing room; these were remodeled to have more exhibition halls when the museum was opened. There is a 2nd floor that was first aimed for the servants, but then was occupied by Joaquín. There live the administration and registry of the museum.

Sorolla, Mother, 1895

Can you imagine Clotilde there? And the painter immersed in his works, portraying illustrious characters of the époque? She’d be there with her feathered hat or her gray dress, or walking along the shore with her daughter María in Biarritz or Zarauz or in that jewel we can see in the painting “Mother”. You also will see the portrays of his children and his self-portraits. And also impressing sculptures of Capuz, Benlliure and Troubetzkoy.

Of course, his full of life, lightful beach painting or some of his sketches (well, actual paintings rather than sketches) for the commission by Mr. Huntington for the Hispanic Society, Vision of Spain, will not be missed.