Composing the Network

Joaquín Sorolla was Spain's most celebrated painter of light and Mediterranean life, and this 1902 canvas depicting fishermen composing or mending a net captures the working life of the Spanish coast with the brilliant, sun-saturated style for which Sorolla was celebrated internationally. Fishing net subjects allowed him to explore the interplay of strong sunlight with wet surfaces, translucent fabric, and the physical labour of coastal men. The work is held at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, reflecting Sorolla's significant South American reputation during his lifetime.

Sorolla deploys his signature high-key palette and rapid, confident brushwork to capture strong Mediterranean sunlight falling on figures working with a fishing net. The paint surface is vivid and energetic; warm yellows and whites predominate with blue-shadow accents. The figures are rendered with summery directness and physical presence.