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San Diego Museum of Art acquires works by Zurbarán and Sorolla

Joaquín Sorolla - By the Seashore, Valencia

Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida
By the Seashore, Valencia

San Diego Museum buys works by Zurbarán and Sorolla The San Diego Museum of Art announced the acquisitions of two major paintings, ‘St. Francis in Prayer in a Grotto’ by Francisco de Zurbarán and ‘By the Seashore, Valencia’ by Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida.]]>

January 21, 2015, source: San Diego Museum of Art

These acquisitions of works from two influential artists continue to build on the strength of the Museum’s renowned Permanent Collection of Spanish art. “St. Francis in Prayer in a Grotto” will be on view beginning January 21, 2015, and “By the Seashore, Valencia” will be on view starting February 26, 2015.

The notable acquisitions were made possible by generous donations from Conrad Prebys and Debbie Turner, in the case of the Zurbarán, and the Legler Benbough Foundation, whose donation led to the acquisition of the Sorolla. The gift from Prebys and Turner follows a $1.5 million donation in 2013 to support exhibitions and programming around The San Diego Museum of Art Celebrates 100 Years of Art in Balboa Park, the Museum’s initiative celebrating Balboa Park’s Centennial in 2015.

The Legler Benbough Foundation continues a tradition of 35 years of immeasurable support by the organization. The Sorolla gift is particularly notable since the first work to enter the Museum’s collection was the artist’s “Maria at La Granja”, donated in 1925. This acquisition also follows the success of “Sorolla and America”, held at The San Diego Museum of Art from May 31 through August 26, 2014.

“The San Diego Museum of Art is thrilled to welcome these masterpieces into the Permanent Collection and further build on our holdings of Spanish art,” said Roxana Velásquez, Maruja Baldwin Executive Director of The San Diego Museum of Art. “To have philanthropists like Conrad Prebys, Debbie Turner, and the Legler Benbough Foundation, value the importance of art is a true gift to San Diego. These works will be enjoyed for generations to come.”

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San Diego Museum of Art acquires works by Zurbarán and Sorolla