Clotilde García Castillo (1865-1929) married Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (Spanish Realist/Impressionist painter, 1863-1923) at the age of 23 and they ended their days together.
The painter died six years before her, in 1923.
Clotilde donated all her assets to the State for the foundation of a museum in honour of her husband's work - the family home where the Sorolla Museum stands today.
Joaquín Sorolla | Clotilde seated on the Sofa (Clotilde sentada en un sofá), 1910 | Museo Sorolla, Madrid
Of all the portraits Sorolla painted of his wife, this is probably the most successful and is a fundamental work within the context of his artistic production.
The viewer is presented here with a refined lady, reflecting her social status and so mirroring her husband’s professional success.
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida | Clotilde seated on the Sofa, 1910 | Museo Sorolla