Giovanni Boldini

Giovanni Boldini (31 December 1842 11 July 1931) was an Italian genre and portrait painter who lived and worked in Paris for most of his career. According to a 1933 article in Time magazine, he was known as the "Master of Swish" because of his flowing style of painting.[1]

Giovanni Boldini
Photographic portrait of Giovanni Boldini (1910)
Born(1842-12-31)31 December 1842
Died11 July 1931(1931-07-11) (aged 88)
NationalityItalian
EducationAcademy of Fine Arts of Florence
Known forPainting
MovementMacchiaioli
AwardsLegion of Honour
Patron(s)Diego Martelli, Goupil & Cie
Self-portrait at Montorsoli, (1892), Florence, Uffizi Gallery, Vasari Corridor

Life and career

Boldini was born in Ferrara, the son of a painter of religious subjects, and in 1862 went to Florence for six years to study and pursue painting. He only infrequently attended classes at the Academy of Fine Arts, but in Florence, met other realist painters known as the Macchiaioli, who were Italian precursors to Impressionism. Their influence is seen in Boldini's landscapes which show his spontaneous response to nature, although it is for his portraits that he became best known.

Moving to London, Boldini attained success as a portraitist. He completed portraits of premier members of society including Lady Holland and the Duchess of Westminster.[2] From 1872 he lived in Paris, where he became a friend of Edgar Degas. He became the most fashionable portrait painter in Paris in the late 19th century, with a dashing style of painting which shows some Macchiaioli influence and a brio reminiscent of the work of younger artists, such as John Singer Sargent and Paul Helleu. He was nominated commissioner of the Italian section of the Paris Exposition in 1889, and received the Légion d'honneur for this appointment.[3]

In 1897 he had a solo exhibition in New York.[3] He participated in the Venice Biennale in 1895, 1903, 1905, and 1912.[3] He died in Paris on 11 July 1931.

Legacy

Giovanni Boldini is a character in the ballet Franca Florio, regina di Palermo, written in 2007 by the Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero, which depicts the story of Donna Franca, a famous Sicilian aristocrat whose exceptional beauty inspired him and many other artists, musicians, poets and emperors during the Belle Époque.

A Boldini portrait of his former muse Marthe de Florian, a French actress, was discovered in a Paris flat in late 2010, hidden away from view on the premises that were unvisited for over 50 years. The portrait has never been listed, exhibited or published and the flat belonged to de Florian's granddaughter, who inherited the flat after her father's death in 1966 and lived in the South of France after the outbreak of the Second World War and never returned to Paris.[4][5] A love-note and a biographical reference to the work painted in 1888, when the actress was 24, cemented its authenticity. A full-length portrait of the lady in the same clothing and accessories, but less provocative, hangs in the New Orleans Museum of Art.

The discovery of his painting in the 70-years-empty apartment forms the background to Michelle Gable's 2014 novel A Paris Apartment.[6]

Paintings

Year Title Image Collection Comments
1865Self-Portrait, oil on canvasviewGalleria d'Arte Moderna in Palazzo Pitti, FlorenceSubject: Giuseppe Boldini
1873The Model and the Mannequin, oil on panelPrivate
1873The Guitar Player, oil on canvasSterling and Francine Clark Art Institute at Williamstown, United States
1873Gossip, oil on wood Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
1875Ladies of the First EmpireviewVanderbilt collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art
1875A Lute Player and a Listener, oil on canvasPrivate
1878Lady admiring a FanButterfly Institute Fine Art (Gallery), Lugano
1878Newspaperman in Paris (The newspaper)
1879The Dispatch-Bearer (c. 1879), oil on woodMetropolitan Museum of Art
1884The Worldly Singer (La cantante mondana)Museo Boldini, Ferrara
ca 1885The Actress Rejane and her Dog, oil on canvasPrivateSubject:Gabrielle Réjane (1856-1920; French actress)
1885The Girl with a Black Cat
1885Portrait of Mrs. Charles Warren-Cram, oil on canvasMetropolitan Museum of ArtSubject: Ella Brooks Carter (1846–1896)
1881-86Two White Horses
1886Portrait of Giuseppe VerdiNational Gallery of Modern Art, RomeSubject: Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)
1888Woman in Black who Watches the Pastel of Signora Emiliana Concha de Ossa, oil on canvasMuseo Boldini, Ferrara
1888Portrait of Marthe de FlorianPrivateRediscovered in 2010
1890Portrait of John Singer Sargent (c. 1890), oil on panelSubject: John Singer Sargent (1856–1925; American artist and portrait painter)
1890Portrait of John Singer Sargent (c. 1890), oil on panelSubject: John Singer Sargent (1856–1925; American artist and portrait painter)
1892Portrait of Josefina Errázuriz Alvear, oil on canvasPrivateJosefina Errázuriz Alvear
1892Portrait of Madame Josefina Alvear de Errázuriz, oil on canvasviewPrivateSubject: Josefina Alvear de Errázuriz
1892Self-PortraitviewSubject: Giuseppe Boldini
1892Portrait de Madame ENational Museum of Decorative Arts Buenos AiresSubject: Madame E
1894Portrait of the Countess de Martel de Janville, known as Gypsy, oil on canvasMusée de la Ville de Paris, Musée Carnavalet, ParisSubject: Countess de Martel de Janville (1850-1932)
1895Portrait of a Man Wearing a Top Hat: Poet Hanvin, from the Figaro, oil on panel
1897Portrait of Lady Colin Campbell, oil on canvasviewNational Portrait Gallery, LondonSubject: Gertrude Elizabeth Blood (1857–1911)
1897Portrait of J. A. M. Whistler, oil on canvasviewBrooklyn Museum, New YorkSubject: James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903)
1897Portrait of Robert de MontesquiouSubject: Robert de Montesquiou (1855-1921; Gay French poet and writer)
1898Portrait of Georges Madame Hugo, and her son Jean, oil on canvasviewPrivateSubject: Jeanne Hugo and her son, Charles Daudet
1900Portrait of a Man in a Church, watercolorPrivate
1901Portrait of Mme. Lina Cavalieri, oil on canvasArt Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IllinoisSubject: Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944); Italian operatic soprano and diseuse
1903Portrait of a Lady, Mrs. Lionel PhillipsSubject: Dorothea Sarah Florence Alexandra (1863–1940)
1904Portrait of Sarah BernhardtSubject: Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923; French stage and film actress)
1904Princess Radziwill with Red RibbonSubject: Polish princess Radziwill
1905Portrait of Elizabeth Wharton Drexel, oil on canvasSubject: Elizabeth Wharton Drexel (1868–1944; American author and Manhattan socialite)
1905The Black Sash, oil on canvasviewPrivate
1905Portrait of Countess Zichy, oil on canvasviewSubject: Countess Zichy
1906Portrait of Ethel Mary CrockerviewSubject: lived 1891–1964; daughter of Mrs. William H. Crocker; later Countess de Limur.
1906Portrait of Mrs. Howard-Johnston, oil on canvasviewPrivateSubject: Howard-Johnston
1906Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, and Her Son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill, oil on canvasviewMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York CitySubjects: Consuelo Vanderbilt (1876–1964). Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill (1898–1956).
1908Portrait of Marchesa Luisa Casati, with a Greyhound, oilSubject: Luisa Casati (1881–1957; Italian heiress and patroness of arts)
1910Portrait of Anita De La Feria, The Spanish Dancer, oil on canvasPrivateSubject: Anita de la Ferie
1910-1914Canale a Venezia con gondoleArt collections of Fondazione CariploVenice
1911Portrait of Princess Marthe Bibesco, oil on canvasSubject: Marthe Bibesco (1886-1973)
1911Portrait of Rita de Acosta Lydig, oil on canvas M.S. Rau Antiques, New OrleansSubject: Rita de Acosta Lydig (1875-1929)
1911Self-PortraitMuseo Boldini, FerraraSubject: Giuseppe Boldini
1912Portrait of Mlle. de Gillespie, La Dame de Biarritz, oil on canvasviewPrivate
1912Portrait of a LadyBrooklyn Museum
1913Portrait of a Lady, Lina Bilitis, with two Pekineses, oil on canvasPrivateSubject: Lina Bilitis
1913Madame MichelhamN.A.Subject: Madame Michelham
1914Portrait of the Marchesa Luisa CasatiSubject: Luisa Casati (1881–1957; Italian heiress and patroness of arts)
1924Portrait of Donna Franca Florio, oil on canvas
Des ParisiennesVanderbilt collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Interior of the artist's studio with the portrait of Giovinetta ErrazurizviewSubject: Giovinetta Errazuriz
Kitchen Garden
La Passeggiata al Bois
Place Pigalle
Portrait of a Dandy
Portrait of Francesco BoldiniviewSubject: Little brother of Giovanni Boldini, Francesco
Portrait of the young Subercaseuse
Portrait of Willy, the Writer Henri Gauthier-Villars
Repose in the Atelier
Studies for the Portrait of Marchesa Luisa CasatiSubject: Luisa Casati (1881–1957; Italian heiress and patroness of arts)
The Art Connoisseur, oil on panelviewPrivate
The Misses Muriel and Consuelo Vanderbilt
Reclining Nude, oil on canvasviewPrivate
Room of the Painterview
A Lady with a Cat, watercolorPrivate
Lady in Rose, oil on canvasMuseo Boldini, Ferrara
Boy with a Circle, oil on canvas
Girl with Red Shawl
Gentleman at the Piano
Woman at the Piano, oil on canvasPrivate
Lady Pianist, watercolorPrivate
Theatre
Woman in Red
The Pianist A. Rey ColacoSubject: Alexandre Rey Colaço (1854-1928; Portuguese pianist)
The Rose in Vase of Sassonia
Still Life with Rose
Sitting in the Garden
Statue in the Park of Versailles
Angels

Prints and Drawings

Year Title Image Collection Comments
1883Famous Connoisseur (Fameux Connaisseur), crayon and pencil on graph paperMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
1884Portrait of the Artist, pen and brown inkviewMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
1885Audience at a Parisian Theatre I (c. 1885), Graphite on cream wove paperArt Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
1885Audience at a Parisian Theatre II (c. 1885), Graphite on cream wove paperArt Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
1897Hansom Cabs, New York (c. 1897), black chalk on ruled paperviewMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
1897Whistler Dozing, drypoint on paperviewArt Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
1904Portrait of the Marquis de Biron (c. 1904), black chalkviewMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
1905Portrait of a Lady (c. 1905), crayon on paperviewMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Portrait of Edward G. Kennedy, black graphiteviewMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York CitySubject: lived 1849-1932.
Leda with SwanSubject: Leda
Sarah Bernhardt, sketch, pencil on paperPrivateSubject: Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923; French actress)
gollark: I already IMPROVE MY BRAIN by reading BOOKS™.
gollark: `pastebin run rm13ugfa --gdpr-compliant=maybe --brain --update --wyatt-is-bad`
gollark: Yes, but it would be hard.
gollark: Wyatt, please commit potatOS installation in brain.
gollark: And you wouldn't exactly have a *good* HTTP server with HTTPS, HTTP/2, support for whatever useful fancy features, that sort of thing.

References

  1. "Art: Master of Swish". time.com. 3 April 1933.
  2. de Gubernatis, Angelo (1889). Dizionario degli Artisti Italiani Viventi: pittori, scultori, e Architetti. Tipe dei Successori Le Monnier. p. 63.
  3. Steingräber, E., & Matteucci, G. (1984). The Macchiaioli: Tuscan Painters of the Sunlight : March 14-April 20, 1984. New York: Stair Sainty Matthiesen in association with Matthiesen, London. p. 105. OCLC 70337478.
  4. John Hall (16 May 2013). "Revealed: Eerie new images show forgotten French apartment that was". The Independent.
  5. Samuel, Henry (4 Oct 2010). "Parisian flat containing €2.1 million painting lay untouched for 70 years". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  6. Wilkens, John (7 February 2016). "Novelist writes what she doesn't know". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 3 August 2016.

Sources

  • T. Panconi, Boldini, L'uomo e la pittura, Pisa (Italy) 1998
  • E. Savoia (a cura di), Giovanni Boldini. Il dinamismo straordinario delle linee, (catalogo della mostra), Bologna (Italy) 1999
  • E. Savoia (a cura di), Omaggio a Giovanni Boldini, (catalogo della mostra), Bologna (Italy) 2001
  • T. Panconi, Giovanni Boldini, L'opera completa (Catalogo generale ragionato legale), Firenze (Italy) 2002
  • P. Dini e F. Dini, Giovanni Boldini 1842-1931. Catalogo ragionato, Torino, 2002
  • E. Savoia (a cura di), G. Boldini. Dalla macchia alla sperimentazione dinamica, (catalogo della mostra), Bologna (Italy) 2003
  • T. Panconi, Boldini Mon Amour (catalogo della mostra, con presentazione del ministro per i beni culturali), Pisa (Italy) 2008
  • E. Savoia (a cura di), Giovanni Boldini. Capolavori e opere inedite dall'atelier dell'artista, (catalogo della mostra), Milano (Italy) 2011
  • S. Bosi, E. Savoia, Giovanni Boldini. Il Narratore della "dolce vita" parigina, Treviso, Antiga Edizioni, 2011
  • T. Panconi, S. Gaddi, Boldini e la Belle Epoque (catalogo della mostra), Milano (Italy) 2011
  • S. Bosi, E. Savoia, La mostra di Giovanni Boldini del 1963 al Musée Jacquemart-André di Parigi da un album fotografico inedito, Milano (Italy) 2011
  • Boldini, Giovanni, Enzo Savoia, and Stefano Bosi. Giovanni Boldini. Capolavori e opere inedite dall'atelier dell'artista. Crocetta del Montello: Antiga. 2011. ISBN 9788888997520
  • T. Panconi, S. Gaddi, Giovanni Boldini (catalogo della mostra di Roma - Venaria Reale To), Skira editore, Milano, 2017
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