Bancaja and the Hispanic Society of America (HSA) have signed a general cooperation agreement on 6^th May 2010 in New York, which gives continuity to the cultural cooperation involving both institutions in 2005.

By means of the new sponsorship agreement Bancaja has become the exclusive co-operator of the Hispanic Society in activities relating to promotion and dissemination of their collection in Spain over the next five years. More specifically, this cooperation will allow Bancaja to exhibit masterpieces of Spanish art belonging to the American institution with the mutual commitment of holding a minimum of three exhibitions throughout the duration of this sponsorship agreement, through to December 2014.

Bancaja and the Hispanic Society have defined the general theme of the three exhibitions, based on the wide and valuable collection kept by the Hispanic Society, comprising over 800 paintings and 6000 drawings and watercolours, nearly 1000 sculptures and archaeological pieces, as well as decorative items, etchings and books of great historical and cultural value.

The first of the three exhibitions is focused on the photograph collection belonging to the American cultural institution, with a wide range of backdrops that have over 175,000 graphical documents that depict scenes in Spain from the end of the 19^th century to the beginning of the 20^th century, and many of which were also inspiration for Joaquin Sorolla when he painted the regional panels comprising “A Vision of Spain”.

The second of the exhibitions, that will be sponsored by the Bancaja's Social Work, will offer a view of Spanish painting of change from the 19^th and 20^th centuries that includes painters from that time representing the beginning of modernity with work by artists as significant as Ignacio Zuloaga, Anglada Camarasa, Santiago Rusiñol, Joaquín Mir, Juan Antonio Benlliure, Isidre Nonell and Ramón Casas. The exhibition will show the public Spanish artwork between 1850 and 1920, treasured by the Hispanic Society.

Furthermore, cooperation between Bancaja and the Hispanic Society will allow an exhibition about the great masters of Spanish art in Spain with the leading role played by the pieces of work that the American institution has by the most famous Spanish painters throughout history. The Hispanic Society’s collection includes pieces of work by artists such as Velázquez, Goya, Zurbarán, Murillo, El Greco, Ribera, Alonso Cano and Luis de Morales.

This cultural cooperation with the Hispanci Society started in 2005 owing to the exhibition that was carried out by Bancaja's Social Work in Spain of the works of Sorolla that integrate the serie 'A Vision of Spain', pertaining to the Hispanic Society.

The fruit of this cooperation is that Bancaja lends its name to the hall at the Hispanic Society of America where the 14 monumental series painted by Joaquín Sorolla is displayed, after being returned to the cultural institution’s headquarters in New York after the successful exhibition in Spain lasting more than two years and with over two million visitors.

The re-opening of the former Sorolla Gallery with its new name Bancaja Gallery, will take place after restoring the hall, where the 14 regional panels painted by Sorolla can be enjoyed in all their splendour and which has been carried out with sponsorship by Bancaja’s Social Work.