Giovanni Boldini

Giovanni Boldini is an Italian painter born with Ferrare (Italy) the December 31st 1842 and died in Paris the January 11th 1931. Following the example John Singer Sargent, Giovanni Boldini was a portraitist of international reputation, working mainly in Paris and London. At the beginning of the 20th century, he was the portraitist more in sight in Paris, with a reputation equal to that of Sargent.

Biography

Giovanni Boldini whose father was painter and restorer of tables is the eighth of a family of thirteen children. It settles with Florence in 1862 - 1865 and comes into contact with the group of the Macchiaioli, composed members of the École of Barbizon who reject the academism and recommend the immediacy and freshness. It also binds with the critic Diego Martelli, which contributed to popularize in Italy the principles of the Impressionnisme French.

If Boldini produced, at the beginning of its career, some landscapes and painted, in 1870, a series of frescos to the Villa Falconiera close to Pistoia, it is as portraitist that it is made from the start recognize. At the time of a voyage to London in 1869, it obtains many orders and consequently makes many stays in this city until in 1874.

In 1872, it settles in Paris and takes a workshop close to the Place Pigalle. Setting out again in London, Sargent will yield to him its workshop of the Boulevard Berthier in (17 {{E}} district) in 1885.

In 1874, Boldini exposes successfully to the Salon of Mars. It becomes one accustomed of the Living rooms and acquires a great reputation quickly. The merchant Adolphe Goupil offers a franchise agreement to him and Boldini carries out for him small genre paintings in costumes of the 18th century, brilliantly coloured, which have a great success. But one admired especially his portraits of women of the high society, brilliances and elegant, characterized by blow of a bold and fluid brush.

He was a friend close to Edgar Degas and, like him, he used much the technique of the pastel, as from the years 1880.

In 1886 it carries out first once the portrait of Giuseppe Verdi on fabric - it will give it to him seven years later to Milan - but, dissatisfied of the result, it remakes it the April 9th 1886, by using the technique of the pastel, in only five hours. The painter preserved initially this portrait to present it at the time of the World Fairs, of Paris in 1889, of Brussels in 1897 and with the first Biennale de Venise, to finally give it to the Modern Art gallery of Rome in 1918.

Some works

the count Robert de Montesquiou , 1897, Paris, Museum of Orsay.
Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi to the white scarf and top hat , 1886, Rome, Modern Art gallery.

Gallery

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