A CENTURY OF

Artist Joaquin Sorolla hoped that his first UK exhibition featuring Javea would make him rich

Javea saw the town make up a large part of the 278 paintings he took to London in search of fortune.

Among these paintings include Cabo de San Antonio, Javea that captured the site of Javea’s iconic headland back in 1896. There was also Cordelores de Javea, Nadadores de Javea, El puerto de Javea, A child in Javea and countless others referencing the seafaring, sea-loving and golden-coloured moments Sorolla encountered. One of Sorolla’s most famous paintings known to have sold was Encajonando pasas from 1900, showing hundreds of women in Javea packaging raisins for an international trade of which Britain was one of Denia port’s largest customers. While London may have fallen in love with Javea and Sorolla at the exhibition, the opposite never happened.

Sorolla was disappointed with his reception in London.

He complained about the cold air, he complained about being lonely, and he feared the ‘polite’ upper-class English were too cerebral to appreciate his masterpieces of light and fresh air.

Worst of all, Sorolla sold few paintings in London in 1908. “I feel old, I can’t live alone, I’m emptier than you, for you at least have the children,” he wrote to Clotilde. “Today is a disgusting day, I’ve