Joaquín Sorolla and the Glory of Spanish Dress

This handsomely produced catalogue is published to accompany an exhibition at Queen Sofía Spanish Institute that analyzes the rich history of Spain’s regional clothing styles through the monumental paintings of Valencian artist Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863–1923). Celebrated as a painter of light and hailed as a “modern of the moderns” by famed collector Duncan Phillips, Sorolla was one of the most successful artists of his time, lauded for his Manet-esque depictions of Spanish festivals and costume. Here, for the first time, Sorolla’s colorful, sunlit paintings are shown side by side with the types of costumes they portray, in a spectacular display of Spain’s traditional dress in all its glory. The exhibition was conceived by Spanish Institute Chairman, Oscar de la Renta (who contributes a foreword to this volume), and curated by Vogue ’s André Leon Talley.