Feast Scene

Giovanni Boldini prints bring the silk, feathers and swirling energy of Belle Époque Paris into your home. Boldini was the Italian painter nicknamed the "Master of Swish", the most fashionable portraitist in late 19th-century Paris. Our collection of fine art prints covers his society portraits, painted friends such as Whistler, Sargent and Helleu, Paris street and café scenes, and intimate studies of women at the piano and at their toilette.

About Giovanni Boldini

Giovanni Boldini was born in Ferrara on 31 December 1842, the son of a painter of religious subjects. In 1862 he moved to Florence for six years. He rarely attended classes at the Academy there, but he met the Macchiaioli, the Italian realist painters seen as forerunners of Impressionism, and their fresh response to nature shows in his landscapes.

He then found success as a portrait painter in London, painting society figures such as Lady Holland and the Duchess of Westminster. From 1872 he lived in Paris, where he became a friend of Edgar Degas. His model in the 1870s was a young woman named Berthe, and the Countess Gabrielle de Rasty was another companion. By the end of the century he was the most fashionable portrait painter in Paris; having your portrait painted by Boldini was a highlight of the social season.

He was commissioner of the Italian section of the 1889 Paris Exposition and received the Legion of Honour, held a solo show in New York in 1897, and exhibited at the Venice Biennale four times between 1895 and 1912. Younger, more daring painters eventually overtook him, and he had stopped painting years before he died in Paris on 11 January 1931. He was buried in Ferrara.

Style and Subjects

Boldini's portraits are famous for their speed and movement. Faces and hands are painted with care, while dresses, furs and backgrounds dissolve into long, sweeping brushstrokes that seem to crackle with energy. His women lean, twist and turn, full of confidence and glamour.

In the 1870s he also painted small, detailed scenes of Paris life, women in fashionable dress crossing busy streets, carriages and cafés, in a lighter, more delicate manner. His brio has been compared to younger painters such as John Singer Sargent and Paul Helleu.

Famous Works

• Crossing the Street (1875), Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. A fashionable woman steps out on a busy Paris street.
• Young Woman Crocheting (1875), Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. A quiet interior from his early Paris years.
• Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi (1886), Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome. The composer in top hat and scarf, one of the best-known portraits of him.
• Madame Max (1896), Musée d'Orsay, Paris. A full-length portrait in his sweeping late manner.
• Portrait of Robert de Montesquiou (1897), Musée d'Orsay, Paris. The dandy and poet with his cane.
• La Marchesa Luisa Casati with Peacock Feathers (1911), Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome. The flamboyant Italian heiress, one of his favourite sitters.
• Lady in a Yellow Hat with Her Dog (The Marchesa Casati). Another portrait of the marchesa, all motion and colour.

Decorating with Boldini Prints

Boldini's portraits are made for glamorous rooms. A full-length lady in silk suits a dressing room, bedroom or entrance hall, especially with velvet, mirrors and gilt. His painted friends, like Portrait of John Singer Sargent or Whistler Asleep, make an unusual and witty pair for a study.

The small Paris street scenes, such as Les Parisiennes, suit a hallway or living room and work in both classic and modern interiors.

FAQ

Why was Boldini called the "Master of Swish"?

A 1933 Time magazine article used the name for his fast, flowing brushwork, especially the sweeping strokes he used for dresses and backgrounds.

What art movement was Giovanni Boldini part of?

He is best described as a Belle Époque portraitist. As a young man he was close to the Macchiaioli in Florence, and his loose brushwork shows a kinship with Impressionism.

Who did Boldini paint?

He painted the high society of Paris, London and beyond, including Giuseppe Verdi, Robert de Montesquiou, the Marchesa Luisa Casati, and fellow artists such as Whistler, Sargent and Helleu.

Where can I see Boldini's paintings?

The Museo Boldini in Ferrara, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome and the Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts hold major works. The Petit Palais in Paris held a large retrospective in 2022.

Related Artists

• John Singer Sargent: younger portraitist whose brio is often compared to Boldini's
• Paul César Helleu: friend and fellow painter of elegant Parisian women
• Edgar Degas: became his friend after he settled in Paris in 1872
• James Abbott McNeill Whistler: friend whom Boldini painted
• Telemaco Signorini: leading Macchiaioli painter of the Florence circle he joined