The Valencian painter Antonio Gomar (1853-1911), who specialised in landscapes and decorative compositions, is portrayed by his compatriot Sorolla at the age of 53. The work’s landscape format, influenced by photography, and which Sorolla reserved for portraits of family and friends, is indicative of how close he was to his model. Painted in the foreground, his body foreshortened to the left, and half-laughing, he is holding a lighted cigarette, the smoke of which is rising voluptuously towards his face (Text drawn from cat. exp. Los Objetos Hablan, Sevilla, 2016).