Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931)

Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931)
Portrait of a lady
Charcoal on paper signed lower right
9.45 x 5.91 inch
Son of a painter and painting's restorer, Giovanni Boldini frequented very young the artists of Ferrare, his native
city. He was also interrested in the painters of the Quattrocento and particularly Dosso Dossi.
In 1862, Boldini completed his training by joining the Fine Arts Academy in Florence. He took his lessons with
Enrico Pollastrini, a " delicate figurative painter not indifferent to the new painting ". He also met the Macchiaioli
group, bringing members of Barbizon's school together and get friend with art critic Diego Martelli who helped to
popularize the principles of French Impressionism in Italy.
Introduced in the high society of Florence, Boldini met there people like the Falconer family for which he will
work from 1866 to 1870. In 1867, the Falconer invited Boldini in Paris to visit the Universal Exhibition. During
this stay, the artist get to know Edgard Degas and Edouard Manet better, but he was more tempted by
Jean-Baptiste Corot's work.
In 1869, a Falconer family member made him come in London. There, he studied the great English portrait and
caricature painters, like Thomas Gainsborough ; he realised many portraits of ladies in little size and met with his
first success in the Society. During summer 1870, he get back to the Falconer's Villa near Pistoia to realise a set of
frescoes and wall paintings.
He finally settle in Paris in 1872, and took a studio near the Place Pigalle. He worked with exclusive rights for the
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great art dealer Adolphe Goupil. For him, Boldini realised little genre paintings in 18th century's costumes,
brilliantly colored that were enormously successful. His portraits of high society women are particularly admired,
brilliant and elegant, they are characterized by a daring and smooth brush stroke.
Bolidini has now becoming the portraitist of Le Tout-Paris. " Amongst every women portrait painters, Boldini is
the most gifted. He is able to give style even if the model doesn't have any " that is how Camille Mauclair, historian
and art critic branded him. Boldini was part of many exhibitions such as the Salon du Champs-de-Mars in 1874
that established him once for all.
The year after, Boldini travelled to the Netherlands and discovered the painting of Frans Hals. This marked a
turning point in his own painting. Little by little, Boldini showed the tendency to limit the range of his palette, and
suggest colors more than expressing them. He used dark tints and black color was more present. His brush strokes
became more relaxed, the general impression prevailed over subtle details. While gaiety and intensity were
emerging from his first paintings, his last portraits accentuated the stature and dignity of his models.
In 1885, he left Goupil's studio and settled alone in the 17th Parisian arrondissement where he took back the
studio of John Singer Sargent.
The painter realised Verdi's portrait and exhibited it at the Universal Exhibitions in Paris in 1889 and Brussels in
1897 and also at the first Biennale de Venise. After this portrait will be offered by Boldini himself to the Gallery of
Modern Art in Roma in 1918.
Although he settled in Paris, Boldini has frequently visited Spain and Morocco, in the company of his friend
Degas. In 1892, he stayed in Italy to make a self-portrait at the request of the Office Museum in Florence. In 1897,
he exhibited in New York where he realised the portraits of Cornelius Vanderbilt and Gertrude Vanderbilt
Whitney.
Until 1923-24, Boldini painted some nudes, still lifes and landscapes of Venice, Roma and French provinces too.
Museums
Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Galerie nationale d'art moderne et contemporain, Rome
Musée d'Art de São Paulo
Musée de la Villa Grimaldi Fassio Raccolte Frugone, Gênes
Musée Giovanni Boldini, Ferrare
Bibliography
David Downton, Les Maîtres de l'illustration de mode [" Master of Fashion Illustration "], Paris, Eyrolles,?
septembre 2011 , " Giovanni Boldini ", p. 24 à 31
Andrea Buzzoni " Museo Giovanni Boldini " in Ferrara Arte, 1997 - Ferrare
Borgogelli Alessandra, Boldini , Edité par Giunti Editore 2001
Galerie Ary Jan
38 rue de Penthièvre | 75008 Paris
Tel : +33 (0)1 42 61 42 10 | Mobile : +33 (0)6 07 88 75 84
[email protected] | www.galeriearyjan.com