Lot 1
  • 1

Giovanni Boldini

Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Giovanni Boldini
  • Summer Meadow
  • oil on panel
  • 14 by 23.5cm., 5½ by 9½in.

Provenance

Purchased by the father of the present owner in the 1980s; thence by descent

Exhibited

Pistoia, Convento di San Domenico, Giovanni Boldini, 1984, no. 29, illustrated in the catalogue

Literature

Enrico Piceni, Boldini, l'uomo e l'opera, Busto Arsizio, 1981, fig. 14, catalogued & illustrated
Catalogo della pittura italiana dell'800, no. XII, Milan, 1985, p. 115
Piero Dini & Francesca Dini, Giovanni Boldini 1842-1931, catalogo ragionato, vol. III, tomo I, Turin, 2002, p. 101-02, no. 164, catalogued & illustrated (as Paesaggio francese and dated circa 1873-74)
Tiziano Panconi, Giovanni Boldini, l'opera completa, Florence, 2002, p. 177, catalogued & illustrated (dated circa 1876)

Condition

The panel has been cradled and is flat, even, and ensuring a stable support. There is one small spot of frame rubbing in the far lower left corner, covered by the frame. Ultra-violet light reveals some minor dabs of cosmetic retouching in the sky to the right, some of which have somewhat discoloured in time and are also visible to the naked eye upon close inspection. Otherwise, this work is in good condition and ready to hang. Presented in a decorative gilt frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Throughout the 1870s Boldini spent time in the French countryside, painting en plein air in the company of Berthe, his favourite model and lover for over ten years and quite possibly the ephemeral figure with the red parasol seen in the picture. The striking similarity between the present work and Highway of Combes-la-Ville, painted in 1873 (fig. 1) suggest that this work might depict the same village on the outskirts of Paris, where Boldini and his friend and fellow artist Telemaco Signorini painted together that year.