Asturian Landscape (Paisaje asturiano)

Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida

1 of 2

Object Label

Well known for his paintings of holiday makers on the beaches of his native Valencia, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida departed from scenes of the Mediterranean coast in this verdant river landscape in the northern Spanish region of Asturias. The white stucco houses with their red tiled roofs contrast with the cool tones of the wide range of greens Sorolla uses to differentiate rolling fields and varieties of trees.

Caption

Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida Valencia, Spain, 1863–1923, Cercedilla, Spain. Asturian Landscape (Paisaje asturiano), 1903–1904. Oil on canvas, 24 3/8 × 37 1/4 in. (61.9 × 94.6 cm) frame: 35 × 47 1/4 × 4 in. (88.9 × 120 × 10.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Caroline H. Polhemus Fund, 14.559. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 14.559_SL3.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

European Art

Title

Asturian Landscape (Paisaje asturiano)

Date

1903–1904

Geography

Place made: Spain

Medium

Oil on canvas

Classification

Painting

Dimensions

24 3/8 × 37 1/4 in. (61.9 × 94.6 cm) frame: 35 × 47 1/4 × 4 in. (88.9 × 120 × 10.2 cm)

Signatures

Signed and dated lower left: "J. Sorolla y Bastida 1904"

Credit Line

Caroline H. Polhemus Fund

Accession Number

14.559

Rights

No known copyright restrictions

This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

Frequent Art Questions

  • Can you tell me more about Joaquin Sorolla?

    Absolutely! Sorolla is generally classified as a Spanish Impressionist. He worked quickly and usually painted en plein air meaning outside.
    He is often called "the painter of light," he became known for capturing the shimmering Mediterranean light. This painting was made during one of his visits to Northern Spain, which is much more lush and green than the rest of the country.
    Is he the *only* Spanish artist to develop this technique?
    I don't believe so, although he was one of the most successful! I love his quote, "I feel that if I painted slowly, I positively could not paint at all."
  • Do you know the exact location of this landscape in Asturias?

    We don't have any notes one its exact location, but it likely represents a real view that the artist painted while out doors. Sorolla spent three summers painting in the Asturias region of Spain's northwest coast from 1902 to 1904. It was often called "Green Spain," for the lush growth resulting from year-round rainfall.
    Thanks.

Have information?

Have information about an artwork? Contact us at

bkmcollections@brooklynmuseum.org.