sanden commentary index



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.

6. Portrait of the Madame Juillard in Red, 1912

Here are the Boldini trademarks at their most extravagant and dashing. A beautiful, sophisticated, fashionable young woman is seated elegantly on a beautiful sofa. The brilliant dress is an explosion of sweeping brushstrokes moving vigorously down the canvas. The hands are tapering and delicate. The exquisite little pointed shoes are sparkling accents. And the stylish head is rendered with a minimum of touches of the brush. Note how the rich, dark background provides an anchor to the shimmering action in the foreground. This is fashionable portraiture at its ultimate zenith. It has never been done quite like this—before or since!

Oil on canvas, 71 x 37 inches (180 x 94 cm).

page 1 2 3 4 5 6

sanden commentary index


  Site created by A Stroke of Genius, Inc.