Sotheby’s announces the sale of four Joaquín Sorolla works through its 19th Century department. But the twist is that the sale will be split between London and New York:

Linking the two lead Sorollas – Buscando mariscos, to be offered in New York, and Playa de Valencia to be offered in London – is their shared American exhibition history, the two canvases having been shown together in Chicago and St Louis in 1911. There Playa de Valencia was bought by West Coast businessman and philanthropist Frederick Forrest Peabody when it was shown in Chicago, while Buscando mariscos was probably purchased in 1912 or 1913 by St Louis press baron Joseph Pulitzer II, publisher of the Post-Dispatch.

Polly Sartori, Head of Sotheby’s 19th Century European Paintings department in New York, said: ‘Sotheby’s sale of these paintings could not be timelier, with the exhibition ‘Sorolla and America’ at the Meadows Museum in Dallas due to open in December. Sorolla eloquently noted his gratitude to America and the repercussions of the blockbuster one-man exhibitions held in the US during his lifetime can still be felt today.’ 

Both Buscando mariscos and Playa de Valencia come to the market for the first time in their histories, their sale preceding the opening of the comprehensive exhibition Sorolla and America at the Meadows Museum in Dallas, Texas. Running from 13 December 2013 until 19 April 2014, the exhibition will explore for the first time Sorolla’s unique relationship with the United States in the early 20^th century.