Giovanni Boldini

Faure Collection, France
Sale: Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Vente Faure, 29 April 1878
Sale: Paris, Laurin, Guilloux & Buffetand, 19 March 1999, lot 63
Richard Green, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Ettore Camesasca ed., L'opera completa di Boldini, Milan, 1970, no. 19cb, p. 91
Piero & Francesca Dini, Giovanni Boldini 1842-1931, Catalogo Ragionato, vol. III, Turin, n.d., no. 173, pp. 105-106, illustrated with an engraving after the present work, as Giovane Signora che scriveune lettera (La Lettera)

This condition report has been provided by Hamish Dewar, Hamish Dewar Ltd. Fine Art Conservation, 14 Masons Yard, Duke Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6BU. Structural Condition The panel is providing a stable and secure support with no evidence of previous structural intervention. Paint Surface The paint surface has an even varnish layer with only very minimal retouchings being visible under ultra-violet light. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in excellent and stable condition and no further work is required.
"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."

The present work belongs to the series of elegantly-dressed Parisian women depicted by Boldini within the beautiful surroundings of luxurious interiors or sun-filled summer gardens in the 1870s (see figs. 1 & 2 and Dini, ibid. nos. 171-181, pp. 105-111).
In the present work, a young woman seated at a table, engrossed in a letter she is writing, is situated within an Empire interior. The model resembles Berthe, who appeared in most of Boldini's early Paris compositions. The fine, yet sparse decoration of the room with early nineteenth-century furniture focuses the viewers' attention on the opulent silk dress she is wearing.

Boldini first arrived in the French capital in 1871. Most of his early works from this period are small and jewel like, as the present work, and appealed to new American and European collectors. Boldini's dealer, Adolphe Goupil, was eager to accommodate this ready market.   

Nineteenth-century Paris was the capital of fashion and style, and Boldini brilliantly captured the elegance of the Parisian beau monde. Primarily celebrated for his society portraits, Boldini was among the most highly regarded and sought after painters. His rapid brushstroke created a vertiginous energy which made his virtuoso style singular and inimitable. His meticulous attention to detail prevails throughout his oeuvre and is evident in the present work. His interest in high fashion was in keeping with many artists of his generation, including Toulmouche, Gleyre and Stevens, among others, and Boldini's masterful rendering of the textures and folds of fabrics is an incredible technical achievement.


Fig. 1: Giovanni Boldini, Liseuse dans un Salon, 1876, oil on canvas, sold : Sotheby's New York, 1 May 2001, lot 160


Fig. 2: Giovanni Boldini, The Hammock, 1872-74, oil on panel, sold: Sotheby's New York, 25 April 2006, lot 23