The Actress María Guerrero as La dama boba. Joaquín Sorolla.

This painting depicts María Guerrero, a renowned Spanish actress from the early 20 century.

María Guerrero is in the costume that she wore while playing the character of Finea in the play titled “La dama boba” (Lady nitwit).

Lope de Vega wrote the play.

In the background of the painting, the husband of María Guerrero is also in the costume he wore while playing Rufino.

Rufino was the teacher of Finea in the same play.

Joaquín Sorolla created this painting.

He was born in Valencia and travelled around several countries, where he met foreign painters.

Sorolla won important painting prizes that made him very successful.

The painting we see now Sorolla painted over another painting.

Sorolla created the previous painting for the National Exhibition.

The previous painting depicted María Guerrero, who looked younger and more serious.

She was in an armchair, and the background was different.

Nine years after painting that picture, Sorolla painted over it again and created the painting we see now.

This time, Sorolla made the painting bigger and painted María Guerrero smiling and wearing a different, wider dress.

He also added the figure of her husband in the background of the painting.

The dress of María Guerrero reminds us of the dresses that were fashionable in the time of King Philip the Fourth.

The play “La dama boba” is from that period.

Sorolla painted María Guerrero in a pink, red and white dress, paying homage to Velázquez and his painting Las Meninas.

The dress has the same shape as the dresses that appear in Las Meninas.

Joaquín Sorolla and María Guerrero were friends.

Sorolla proposed María Guerrero to paint her portrait.

Sorolla believed that the Prado Museum should have a portrait of María Guerrero in its collection.

He wanted her painting to be hung near the paintings by Velázquez.

Sorolla greatly admired Velázquez.