Joaquin Sorolla hated darkness. Claude Monet once said that painting in general did not have enough light in it. Sorolla could not agree more. Sorolla believed painters could never reproduce sunlight as it really is, and he could only “approach the truth of it”. Most of us when standing in front of one of his canvases would agree he was the master of light. He managed to capture like no other the light of the Mediterranean beaches he loved and the energy of Spanish life. He painted what he saw, quickly, to capture that precise moment. As he said "I could not paint at all if I had to paint slowly.
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Arantxa Sardina is a volunteer guide at Tate, leading tours of the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. She holds an MA in Art History, with a dissertation on Joaquín Sorolla, the Spanish master of Mediterranean light and friend of John Singer Sargent. Passionate about uncovering the stories behind artworks, Arantxa shares her knowledge in a warm, engaging way while always learning from others. Beyond the gallery, she is an enthusiastic amateur musician and a lover of opera and ballet. She is also an Ambassador for Amantani (amantani.org.uk), supporting education and equality for rural Peruvians - donating a percentage of her lecture fees to their mission.