Thomas Jefferson Kitts posted a video online of his visit to the “Vision of Spain” murals by Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, housed at the Hispanic Society in New York City, and thousands are appreciating his eye and his edits.
Check out Kitt’s video on YouTube here, and join the more than 64,000 who have enjoyed it. Even better would be to see the murals in person. The museum, which is located on the west side of Upper Manhattan, is free, but the Hispanic Museum is planning some renovations soon. This will close the museum for at least two years.
Kitt tells us about the genesis of his video. “A couple of years ago I was in Manhattan visiting some art friends when a docent at the Frick told me about the Sorolla murals that are on permanent display at the Hispanic Society of America,” he recalls. “The next morning, breathless with anticipation, I took a taxi uptown to Washington Heights. When I walked into the gallery, I almost dropped to my knees.”
Sorolla did much of the mural painting on location all over Spain, and the strain nearly killed him. The murals are painted on 14 canvases that are nearly 12 feet tall, and together stretch 200 feet long.
“Sorolla is largely known today for his depiction of Spanish culture and families at play on the beach. But these mural paintings in the Society are monumental,” says Kitts. “The next time you visit New York City, make a point to see them yourself. Experience Sorolla’s crowning achievement in a way you rarely can in most museums — nearly alone, without any other distraction.”
