Under the Awning, Zarautz

A scalloped canopy shades the artist's wife and daughters on the beach at Zarautz in northern Spain. The strong sea breeze blows back their veils in diaphanous clouds. Joaquín Sorolla painted this work outdoors on the same beach, which allowed him to capture the fleeting effects of the sun, sea, and wind. Paintings like this one earned Sorolla international fame. The Museum presented a major exhibition of Sorolla's art in 1911, from which "Under the Awning" was purchased only a year after it was made.

Credit: Museum Purchase