Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida

Private collection, Miami, since circa 2007

Pescadoras en la playa was painted on the beach of Valencia circa 1905. Sorolla's interest in this theme had - at least in part - been inspired by the dictum of Jules Bastien-Lepage who urged painters to paint what they knew, and depict the subjects that were closest to them. The result was a series of canvases that revolved around the Valencian fishing community, featuring such subjects as mending fishing nets, boat building and hauling in the catch. As the 1890s drew to a close, Sorolla's style became ever more Impressionistic, one that he perfected in his oil sketches. His masterful free execution and the spirit he imbued in his works, are qualities that go to the heart of Sorolla's aesthetic and account for his enduring popularity.