Documenting light and structure: The role of the Hispanic Society Library in interpreting Joaquín Sorolla’s architectural vision

How do courtyards, façades and luminous public spaces become not only painterly motifs but archival constructions of cultural identity? Joaquín Sorolla’s monumental series for the Hispanic Society of America was shaped as much by the library’s holdings as by the artist’s brush. Letters, visual documentation, rare books, and curatorial material reveal how the Hispanic Society Library informed Sorolla’s architectural imagination and preserved his vision of Spain’s built heritage. This article examines the dynamic relationship between artist and archive; tracing how specific resources guided the selection of architectural motifs and supported material accuracy across regional scenes. It also shows how this archival substrate continues to frame contemporary interpretations of Vision of Spain. In doing so, it invites broader reflection on the role of art libraries in shaping national identity, cultural memory and, scholarly narratives about built form.