The online collection and picture sale

"You are aware of my keen desire to show something at the Paris Salon (in the Champs-Élysées); I finally have it ready and today I am sending it to your home so that, while you're at it, you can frame it and deliver it, because I know that works are only being accepted until 20 March ... I hope that God wants it to turn out well. I've attached the measurements so that you can see to the frame: 1.25 metres tall. 1.25 metres wide. I think the frame should be gilded, but you'll figure it out, and since you have better taste, I'm sure you'll be right." Several things come into focus in this letter dated 6 March 1893, as well as in the other 533 Sorolla letters purchased by the Regional Government of Valencia in 2006: first, the absolute trust that he has -and would have his entire life- in Pedro Gil Moreno de Mora, whom he met during his sojourn in Rome; secondly, the key role that his friend plays in Sorolla's gradual incursion into Europe, and in his exhibitions and international dealers; and thirdly, the value the painter attaches to his friend's judgement and opinions, some of them surprising because of their importance. As examples, suffice it to cite the letter in which, on Pedro's suggestion, Sorolla asks him to remove a figure and a window from a work that he had already sent (specifically The White Slave Trade), or another in which Pedro tells him that he has received a painting without a signature and Sorolla asks him to sign it for him ("write J. Sorolla Bastida 1904 on the lower right corner"). This is the first documented information about the painting we are discussing now. In a letter dated somewhat later, he admits that in his haste he forgot to give it a title, and he suggests that his friend add "La reliquia" (The Relic).

This painting is part of a series of works which Sorolla set in different parts of the church of the former Colegio de San Pablo in Valencia, an institution founded by the Jesuits in 1559. It underwent several reforms over time which affected both the college and its chapel. Finally, the famous confiscation of Church property in 1835 (known as Desamortización) stripped it of its purpose as a Seminary of Nobles and, through the particular drive of Vicente Boix -an illustrious figure in Valencia's Renaixença culture- it became the headquarters of the Regional Secondary Education School. And so it remains today, with several slight name changes.

In this church, both the ceramic skirting board and the rocaille framing the paintings, grilles and altarpiece were reflected in the works that Sorolla painted in the last decade of the 19th century, as perfectly outlined by Samper Embiz in the article that the museum devoted to the painting The Collecting Table in its newsletter number 9 inv. no. 13/157).

By that time, Sorolla, age 30, had a long series of activities under his belt: he had been a student at what was called the Artisans' School of Valencia, which still survives and conserves his drawings, records and proof of the awards he won in his youth; he had studied for several years at the Fine Arts School, located in what is today the Centro del Carmen, and his marks are still conserved in the archive of the Fine Arts Faculty, he had travelled to Madrid to study at the Prado Museum and copy different works by Velázquez, as well as to immerse himself in the artist's spatial sense; he had secured a scholarship to Rome from the Provincial Council of Valencia (1884-1888); and he had married Clotilde García del Castillo, the sister of a classmate from the School and the daughter of the most prominent society photographer in Valencia. He went to Rome with her in the last year of his scholarship and returned in 1889.

In that decade, and even before it, Sorolla mingled with a large, select school of artists who were blossoming in a society with a booming economy, with outstanding teachers whom he publicly acknowledged, including Domingo Marqués, Ignacio Pinazo, Gonzalo Salvá and Emilio Sala. Among them, he tried to create his own style to overcome- albeit with a few setbacks- paintings of history and society. As in the painting in question, this temporarily led to a Costumbrist, somewhat anecdotal style of painting which he turned to in order to earn a better living - we should note that his three children were born between 1889 and 1895: María Clotilde, Joaquín and Helena. However, the essential values of his painting, beyond the theme, are his rigorous drawing, which he learned well in his school years, and his pleasure in the painted surface, with a "verism" that he never abandoned: "You have to paint with less worry and make a titanic effort to reach the truth without hard edges." And lastly is the reminiscence of Velázquez, as his friend Blasco Ibáñez publicly recognised.

Kissing the Relic can unquestionably be considered an essential piece in Sorolla's oeuvre from the end of the 19th century, as it encapsulates his efforts not only to create his own style but also to begin to paint with a gusto he never abandoned. [Felipe Garín]

Selected bibliography

• Catalogue illustré de peinture et sculpture : salón de 1893 [Cat. exp.]. Paris, Ludovic Baschet, 1893. p. 148, n° cat. 1637. (titulada Le baiser)
• Ruiz de Lihory, José (Barón de Alcahalí). Diccionario biográfico de artistas valencianos. Valencia, [s. n.], 1897. p. 311. (Con el título El beso)
• Domenech, Rafael. Sorolla : su vida y su arte. Madrid, Leoncio Miguel, 1910. pp. XV, XXXI, XXXII, p. 10 de las Ilustraciones, fig. 12. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia, con la fecha 1891 al 1892).
• Gil, Rodolfo. Joaquín Sorolla. Madrid, Sáenz de Jubera Hermanos, 1913. pp. 36, 48. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Beruete y Moret, Aureliano de. Joaquín Sorolla. [Madrid], [Tip. Artística], 1921?. p. 21.
• Beruete y Moret, Aureliano de. Conferencias de Arte. Madrid, [Blass], 1924. pp. 134-148.
• Pantorba, Bernardino de. Jiménez Aranda : ensayo biográfico y crítico. Madrid, [s.n.], 1930. p. 43. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Roda, Damián. Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. Bilbao, Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao, 1947. pp. 180, 183. (Con el título La reliquia)
• Abril, Marcelo. Joaquín Sorolla o la plena luz en nuestra pintura. Barcelona, Iberia-Joaquín Gil, 1948. p. 15. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Lafuente Ferrari, Enrique. Breve historia de la pintura española. Madrid, Tecnos, 1953. p. 529. (títulada 'El beso de la reliquia')
• "Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao", Vizcaya : revista de la Excelentísima Diputación Provincial de Vizcaya, n° 5. 1955. p. 35. (Con el título La reliquia).
• Gaya Nuño, Juan Antonio. Historia y guía de los Museos de España. Madrid, Espasa Calpe, 1955. p. 166. [2ª ed. 1968, p. 181]. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Pantorba, Bernardino de. Sorolla : estudio biográfico y crítico. Madrid, Compañía Bibliográfica Española, 1963. p. 37, reproducido s.p. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Pantorba, Bernardino de. I Centenario del nacimiento de Sorolla [Sorolla 1863-1963]. Madrid, Dirección General de Bellas Artes, 1963. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Manaut Viglietti, José. Crónica del pintor Joaquín Sorolla. Madrid, Editora Nacional, 1964. p. 25.
• Lasterra, Crisanto de. Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : catálogo descriptivo : sección de arte antiguo. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 1969. p. 107, n° cat. 228. (Con el título La reliquia, y atribuido a SOROLLA BASTIDA, Joaquín).
• Pantorba, Benardino de. La vida y la obra de Joaquín Sorolla : estudio biográfico y crítico. Madrid, Extensa-Gráficas Monteverde, 1970. pp. 166, 226, n° cat. 1027.
• Hernández Polo, José. Sorolla. Madrid, Publicaciones Españolas, 1973. p. 18.
• Espí Valdés, Adrián. Relaciones de Sorolla con Alicante y sus pintores : cincuentenario de la muerte del maestro de Valencia. Alicante, 1974. p. 19.
• Bengoechea, Javier de. Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao. Bilbao, La Gran Enciclopedia Vasca, 1978. p. 246. (Con el título 'La reliquia')
• Catalá Gorgues, Miguel Ángel. Cien años de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado Valencianos, 1878-1978. Valencia, Caja de Ahorros de Valencia, 1978. p. 58.
• Simó, Trinidad. J. Sorolla. Valencia, Vicent García, 1980. p. 95. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia y la fecha 1892).
• Bengoechea, Javier de. Catálogo de arte moderno y contemporáneo del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. Bilbao, Banco de Vizcaya, 1980. p. 110.
• Fernández Benito, Armando. Sorolla. Madrid, Movinter, 1981. p. 12.
• Lafuente Ferrari, Enrique. Breve historia de la pintura española. Madrid, Akal, 1987. p. 529. (títulada 'El beso de la reliquia')
• Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida [Cat. exp.]. Valencia ; San Diego, IVAM Centre Julio González ; San Diego Museum of Art, 1989. pp. 102, 205-206, 237, n° cat. 7. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Reyero, Carlos. "La obra de Sorolla en el París fin de siglo", Goya : revista de arte, n° 215. 1990. pp. 294-295. (Con el título Le baiser (El beso de la reliquia)).
• L'Europe des peintres : 1893 [Cat. exp.]. Paris, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1993. nombrada en p. 112. (Con el título Le Baiser à la relique).
• Arnáiz, José Manuel [dir.]. Cien años de pintura en España y Portugal, 1830-1930. Madrid, Antiquaria, vol. X, 1993. pp. 288-289. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia)
• De Fortuny à Picasso : trente ans de peinture espagnole 1874-1906 [Cat. exp.]. Paris, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1994. p. 142, n° cat. 85. (Con el título 'Le baiser à la relique')
• Joaquín Sorolla, 1863-1923 [Cat. exp.]. Madrid, Fundación Mapfre, 1995. pp. 64-65. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia).
• Spanyol Mestermüvek a Bilbaói Szépmüvészeti Múzeumból [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao ; Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, 1996. pp. 135-137, n° cat. 30. (Con el título Az Ereklye = La Reliquia, y atribuido a Joaquín Sorolla)
• Sorolla & Zuloaga : dos visiones para un cambio de siglo [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 1997. p. 85, n° cat. 4. (Con el título 'La reliquia')
• Sorolla & Zuloaga : dos visiones para un cambio de siglo [Cat. exp.]. Madrid, Fundación Mapfre, 1998. pp. 182, 228. (Con el título 'El beso de la reliquia')
• Zugaza, Miguel ... [et al.]. Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : maestros antiguos y modernos. Bilbao, Fundación Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa = Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa Fundazioa, 1999. pp. 150-151. (Con el título 'La reliquia')
• Sagasta y el liberalismo español [Cat. exp.]. Madrid, Fundación Argentaria, 2000. p. 389. (Con el título La reliquia).
• Pons-Sorolla, Blanca. Joaquín Sorolla : vida y obra. Madrid, Fundación de Apoyo a la Historia del Arte Hispánico, 2001. pp. 130-131, 729, fig. 50. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia). N° cat. 50
• Zugaza, Miguel ... [et al.]. Maestros antiguos y modernos en las colecciones del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2001. p. 82.
• Pons-Sorolla, Blanca. Joaquín Sorolla. Londres, Philip Wilson Publishers, 2005. pp. 82-83, fig. 20. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia)
• Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : guía. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2006. pp. 122-123.
• Musée des Beaux Arts de Bilbao : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2006. pp. 122-123.
• Bilbao Fine Arts Museum : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2006. pp. 122-123.
• De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Salamanca, Caja Duero, 2006. pp. 238-239, n° cat. 61. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia)
• De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Valencia, Consorci de Museus de la Comunitat Valenciana, 2006. pp. 238-239, n° cat. 61. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia)
• De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Salamanca, Caja Duero, 2007. pp. 238-239, n° cat. 61. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia)
• Cartas de Sorolla a Gil-Moreno de Mora [Cat. exp.]. Valencia, Generalitat Valenciana, Conselleria de Cultura, Educació i Esport, 2007. pp. 95-96. (Con el título El beso de la reliquia)
• García de Cortázar, Fernando. Historia de España desde el Arte. Barcelona, Editorial Planeta, 2007. p. 496.
• Manaut Viglietti, José. Sorolla : biografía íntima. Valencia, Carena, 2008. p. 44.
• De Goya a Gauguin : el siglo XIX en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2008. pp. 506-508, n° cat. 113.
• Reguera, Galder. "Centenario del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao", Arketypo : revista de arte, arquitectura y diseño vasco, n° 13. 2009. pp. 144-145.
• Joaquín Sorolla, 1863-1923 [Cat. exp.]. Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2009. pp. 26-27..
• Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao : guía. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2011. pp. 122-123, n° cat. 84a.
• Bustreo, Federica. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bilbao : maîtres anciens et première moitié du XX siècle. Florencia, Scala Group, 2011. pp. 82-83.
• Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa : gida. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2012. pp. 122-123, n° cat. 84a.
• Musée des Beaux Arts de Bilbao : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2014. pp. 122-123.
• Bilbao Fine Arts Museum : guide. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2014. pp. 122-123.
• Joaquín Sorolla : Spaniens Meister des Lichts [Cat. exp.] . München, Hirmer, 2016. pp. 16, 101, 103, 236, n° cat. 1.
• Sorolla and the Paris years [Cat. exp.]. Skira Rizzoli, 2016. pp. 16, 72, 101-103, 229, 236, n° cat. 1.
• Maestros : Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao . Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 86-87, il.
• Sorolla : un peintre espagnol à Paris [Cat. exp.]. Madrid, El Viso, 2016. pp. 16, 102-103, 228, 236, n° cat. 1.
• Sorolla en Paris [Cat. exp.]. Munich ; Giverny ; Madrid, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstifung ; Musée des impressionnismes ; Museo Sorrolla ; El Viso, 2016. pp. 16, 102-103,229, 236, n° cat. 1.
• Maisuak : Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 86-87, il.
• Masters : Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 86-87, il.
• Maîtres : Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bilbao. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2016. pp. 86-87, il.
• 110 Años 110 Obras [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 164-167, sin n° cat.
• 110 Ans 110 Oeuvres [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 164-167, sin n° cat.
• 110 Urte 110 Artelan [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 164-167, sin n° cat.
• 110 Years 110 Works [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 164-167, sin n° cat.
• Bilboko Museoaren alfabetoa = El alfabeto del Museo de Bilbao = The alphabet of the Bilbao Museum = L'alphabet du Musée de Bilbao [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2018. pp. 345-346, 348-350, 353, n° cat. 195.
• Sorolla : Spanish Master of Light [Cat. exp.]. London, National Gallery, 2019. pp. 36-37, 106-107, n° cat. 10.
• Extraña devoción : de reliquias y relicarios [Cat. exp.]. Valladolid, Fundación de Amigos del Museo Nacional de Escultura, 2021. pp. 16, 19, 96-97, n° cat. 1.