Early Life, Family and Training Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida entered the world on 27 February 1863 in Valencia, Spain. He was the eldest child of a tradesman, Joaquín Sorolla, and his wife, Concepción Bastida. Life for the young boy was marked by a sudden and heavy silence when, in August 1865, a cholera epidemic claimed both of his parents. This tragedy left Joaquín and his sister, Concha, as orphans. They were taken in by their maternal aunt and uncle, a locksmith, who provided the stability the siblings needed to grow. The spark of talent appeared early in his youth in Valencia. He received…