A well-furnished mansion, a fine art gallery and a painter's studio all in one, the home of Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) is a gem.

With its Moorish gardens and trickling fountains, the atmosphere at the recently refurbished Museo Sorolla is in total contrast to the formality and grandeur of Madrid's major museums. Born in Valencia, Sorolla worked in Paris and Rome before becoming the darling of European and American high society. Often labelled 'the Spanish Impressionist', Sorolla had no connection with that movement. Passionate about Spain and the Spanish, his treatment of sharp light and heavy shade was both individual and highly accomplished. While he lived in Madrid (1910-23), his large paintings, with their bold and lively brushwork of people in sun-dappled landscapes, were in great demand.