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Giovanni Boldini 1842 - 1931
(Self Portrait, 1892)
The Dazzling Bravura of
Giovanni Boldini


His exuberant brush captured extraordinary realism.

iovanni Boldini (1842-1931) occupies a unique and glamorous position in the history of portraiture. Extraordinarily successful as a painter of European high society, his dazzling bravura style, combined with brilliant precision, has made him one of the most admired and studied artists of all time. In fact, he occupies a position in that fabled "triumvirate of titans" at the very pinnacle of portrait painting in the golden era at the close of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. The names of John Singer Sargent, Boldini and Sorolla (the great Spanish master) are invariably linked when artists discuss this period. While this remarkable trio shared numerous characteristics, Boldini's work was distinguished by his slashing, rapier-like brushstrokes. Boldini was, like the other two, a consummate draftsman as well as a master painter of carefully observed tonal values. But these qualities were often overpowered by the explosive brush attack.

3. Portrait of the Artist Lawrence Alexander Harrison, 1902

There are several noteworthy features of this portrait. First, study the extraordinarily fluid brushstrokes which delineate the fabric of the suit. The strokes define the folds and texture of the fabric, but also the gesture of the figure. Not a stroke is wasted. Economy of means is the watchword here. Secondly, note the unusual play of light over the figure, emphasizing the hand and, surprisingly, the leg. The hand is a marvel of elegant draftsmanship, and is as revealing of character as is the very simply defined head.

Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 inches
(127 x 102 cm).

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