This autumn, Valencia’s art scene will witness an event eagerly anticipated by many painting enthusiasts. Preparations are underway for a major exhibition dedicated to the work of Joaquín Sorolla. The Fundación Bancaja galleries are hosting an exposition featuring 60 of the master’s works, 59 of which have been specially brought in from Madrid. This is a rare opportunity to see such a significant portion of the collection outside the familiar walls of the capital’s museum.
The reason for this relocation was the temporary closure of the Museo Sorolla in Madrid for renovation and expansion. This circumstance allowed organizers to bring together works that usually are never displayed outside the museum at the same time. Such a concentration of the artist’s masterpieces outside his home-museum is truly exceptional.
Titled “Sorolla. Obras maestras del Museo Sorolla,” the exhibition is organized by Fundación Bancaja, the Ministry of Culture, Museo Sorolla, and the namesake foundation. The display includes both famous canvases and lesser-known yet equally important works. Among them are “Paseo a la orilla del mar,” “El baño del caballo,” and “La siesta.” A special highlight is the painting “¡Triste herencia!” from the Fundación Bancaja collection, which brought the artist international acclaim after its triumph at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900.
The exhibition is designed to allow visitors to trace the artist’s journey: from his early steps in Valencia and Italy to his mature years in Madrid, where he gained recognition. Distinct sections are dedicated to portraits, seascapes, scenes from early 20th-century Spanish life, as well as Sorolla’s final trip to Cala de San Vicente (Cala de San Vicente, Pollença, Mallorca) in 1919, where he painted the Mediterranean Sea shortly before his death.
The exhibition will open on October 3 and run until February 8, 2026. For art lovers, this is a chance to see a unique collection of works by the great Spanish artist without traveling to the capital. Organizers are confident that the event will attract not only local residents but also visitors to the city, as such an exhibition is unlikely to be repeated in the coming years.
