Salut tout le monde!, Hola todos!, Hello everybody! My name is Nataly, and the mélange of greetings is a tiny reflection of my own identity. I was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, moved to the U.S when I was 14 years old, and I’m now an avid student of languages and culture. It’s a bit difficult nowadays to think of myself as a citizen of a particular country since I have absorbed and adopted many different traditions over the years. Living in the U.S, Colombia, Spain, and for a little while France, I have a special bond with each of these places and all the wonderful people I’ve met there.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit plenty of museums, and from what I’ve observed the link between politics and art is one that’s relevant for any particular period of history. From the way an artist expresses himself or the way he represses his expression, politics and other societal forces have always been able to exert influence. It always amazes me how much one can get into an artists mind and world after looking at his/her work. I always get the audio tours when I go into museums because I really enjoy hearing the story behind an artwork and I guess that’s where the study of art history becomes relevant to me. Even without knowing, I’ve always been unable to fully appreciate a piece without having a bit of background about it. I love that first reaction to a work of art as much as I love my feelings after I know what was happening to the artist and the world at the time he created his work. I will leave you with one of my favorite paintings at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. It is by the Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla, who I was very excited to come across. I can NOT attempt to convey the emotion I felt when I looked at this painting but it always reminds me of my own childhood and how simple and free my life was at the time. Sorolla's work is full of brilliance and humanity, and it is this humanity that still resonates with contemporary viewers.

If you like this painting and want to know a bit more about Sorolla and his work, click here for a documentary the Museo del Prado put together for their 2009 exhibition. Enjoy!