A closer look at the ceramics in the Sorolla Museum

We love to browse the 360Stories website in search of new and interesting stories that give us some unique insight, that otherwise wouldn’t be easy to find elsewhere on the internet. That’s why we are planning on creating a series of trivia posts where we highlight a piece of trivia that we learned thanks to story contributions from users like you! This is the first find for this series.

When travelling, many of us opt to visit museums, including house museums of famed artists. Often times, we pass by various objects, piece of furniture and decor which simply make up the construct of the house, without giving them much second thought. Especially if there are no signs describing them or no mention of them in the audio guides.

That’s why we thought this story was so cool! If you ever have the chance to visit the Museum Sorolla (or Museo Sorolla in Spanish), while you’re in Madrid, Spain, you may or may not notice a number of ceramics scattered about. This museum was actually once the home of famed Spanish painter, Joaquín Sorolla, who was better known for his portraits, landscapes and monumental works with social and historical themes under bright sunlight.

His house was converted into a museum after his death, the main rooms of which continue to be furnished as they were during his life, including his studio, with walls filled with his canvases. This museum is considered to be one of the best conserved houses in Europe. Aside from his works, the house is filled with a number of objects that Sorolla had gathered during his life, including sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, antique photographs, and a number of letters.

The story we found on 360Stories chooses to focus on his collection of ceramics. In fact, the Spanish artist had a taste for popular ceramics and he used them both for their architectural and decorative element throughout the various spaces of his house. He uses tiles in the three gardens of his home and in the configuration of the stairs to the studios.

These ceramics decorate the galleries of the Andalusian patio which is dominated by a fountain which is also covered with tiles from Triana. Then there’s the tile skirting of Talavera de la Reina and the ceramics from Manises, not to mention the pharmacy boats that he used as brush holders. His collection of Spanish ceramics range from the late fifteenth century to the early twentieth century.

So if you ever find yourself wandering the rooms of the Sorolla Museum, be sure to make notice of the unique and extensive collection of ceramics you’re likely to find everywhere. Be sure to check out the story on the website for even more information on his collection of ceramics among other great stories to be found at the Sorolla Museum. Also, keep following us for more interesting featured stories on trivia facts, travel and much more!