A painter and graphic artist especially known for his lighting effects on canvas and rich coloration, Joaquin Sorolla Y Bastida was from Valencia, Spain. His subjects were portraits, landscapes and genre, and he also did book illustrations.

He was a plein-air painter, which was revolutionary in late 19th century Spain, and his style was influenced by Impressionism but dominated by Luminism. Unlike many of his contemporaries who were influenced by the abstract movements from France and Germany, he stayed with recognizable subjects, which became increasingly outmoded into the 20th century.

As a young man in Valencia, he began the study of art at age fifteen, and then went to Madrid where he copied Old Master paintin...