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.
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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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