Sorolla and History of Madrid Museum

 I rode the metro this morning during Madrid rush hour and a) the ticket machines are easy; b) the metro is very clean and speedy and c) it was very crowded!  There’s a subway stop, Anton Martin, a couple of blocks from my apartment and the Iglesia stop (6 stops away) was a short walk from the Sorolla house and museum.  

The Sorolla house opened at 9:30 am and I had a ticket for right then, which was a great thing because it got very crowded with tours and students not long after it opened.  The house is gorgeous and the work on display in most of the house is the iconic later work of beach scenes and white dresses and gorgeous light and color.  It’s the 100th anniversary of Sorolla’s death this year, and there’s a special exhibit of his work during his formative years.  He could paint a still life at age 15 like a Flemish master and his early work is very influenced by Velazquez (whose work he copied in the Prado) and other artists of that time.  He tackled serious and somber subjects which won awards early in his career.  

The feeling in his house is pure joy — from the work on the walls to the furniture, windows, gorgeous garden.  Loved it all.

One thing I haven’t gotten a handle on is the history of Madrid, so I took a 20 minute walk from Sorolla’s house to the History of Madrid museum.  It’s in a splendid pink building with an ornate baroque facade and fountain outside; it’s all modern renovation once you are in the door.  

There are maps showing the changes to the city over time, from when it was established as the Spanish capital in 1561 (having a convenient Moorish fortress on the site that the Spaniards conquered) to modern times.  The museum has a long and complicated story to tell and the combination of maps and artifacts and paintings are amazing.  There’s a Goya painting of the Allegory of the City of Madrid and many fine examples of porcelain and painted fans and lace.  I did get a better sense of why Madrid developed as it did, but I’m still mystified about the river that runs through it.  While there were mills along the river way back when, it seems the city developed away from the river and the only mention I noted in the museum is that the areas along the river are among the poorest in the city.  Hmmmm.

Now for a bit of catch up.  I did get two apologetic emails and a full refund from the Prado tour that the company forgot to tell me was cancelled.  Case closed on that, all’s well that ends well.  The other thing I keep forgetting to mention is a spot I walked by my first day in Madrid, a bean-to-bar chocolate shop called KaiCao.  I walked in as the owner was working on producing some truly delicious chocolate, all sweetened with dates (no refined sugar).  We had a nice conversation and I tasted a few chocolates which (assuming I can resist eating them!) will make it into my carryon bag even if I have to get rid of clothes or shoes to fit them in.