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Joaquín Sorolla, orphaned at the age of two, was taken in by his aunt and uncle. At the age of 15, while working in the family locksmith’s shop, he enrolled at the San Carlos Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Valencia.

There he befriended another pupil, Joan Antoni, “Tono”, son of the prestigious photographer García Peris. Sorolla began to work in the photographer’s studio, illuminating his photographs, and shortly afterwards he went to live with Tono in the studio they set up on the roof terrace of the family home. It was in 1879 when he met Clotilde, Tono’s sister.

From this point on, a love story ensued between Joaquín and Clotilde that is captured not only in the paintings Sorolla dedicated to her, intimate portraits and family portraits, but also in the almost one thousand letters they wrote to each other throughout their lives, which exude admiration, love and mutual dependence. In 1888, they got married and moved to Madrid, with Joaquín’s artistic career in mind. They had three children: María in 1890, Joaquín in 1892, and Elena in 1895.

Elegant and strong-willed, Clotilde was the “perfect wife and mother”, the inspirational muse, but also the driving force behind and administrator of all his artistic endeavours: she organised the exhibitions, handled institutional relations and managed his accounts.

Clotilde is depicted by Sorolla in all sorts of ways: posing, reading, sewing, walking alone or with her children, about to go out, focused or distracted… any moment and any excuse were valid to express his unconditional love for “his Clotilde”.