1842 -1931 · Ferrara, Florence, London and Paris

Elongated silhouettes, fabrics whipped by the touch and worldly elegance make Giovanni Boldini the emblematic portraitist of the Parisian Belle Époque.

Giovanni Boldini was born in Ferrara in 1842 into a family of painters and received his first lessons from his father Antonio, portraitist and restorer. At a very young age, he revealed a remarkable ability to grasp resemblance. In 1862, he left for Florence, studied the nude at the Academy and attended the Macchiaioli at the Caffè Michelangiolo, from which he learned direct observation and construction by spots of light. Stays in Paris and London expanded his network; in England, he refined an elegant portrait intended for an international clientele. Staying in Paris and London expanded his network; in England, he refined an elegant portrait intended for an international clientele. Staying in Paris and London expanded his network; in England, he refined an elegant portrait intended for an international clientele. Staying in Paris and London expanded his network; in England, he refined an elegant portrait intended for an international clientele. Staying in Paris and London expanded his network; in England, he refined an elegant portrait intended for an international clientele. Staying in Paris and London expanded his network; in England, he refined an elegant portrait intended for an international clientele. Staying in Paris and London expanded his network; in England, he refined an elegant portrait intended for an international from the 18th century, horses and urban views, then became one of the most sought-after portraitists in high society. Actresses, aristocrats, musicians, writers and great cosmopolitan figures pose in his studio. Her mature style lengthens silhouettes, tilts bodies and draws dresses, feathers and accessories into a quick touch often compared to a whiplash. Elegance does not, however, erase the individual: face, gaze and hands remain more precisely modeled, revealing confidence, nervousness or theatricality. Friend of Degas and close to artistic circles, Boldini also observes cafes, parties, theater stages and boulevard movements. Rejane on stage and stages of Moulin-Rouge captures modern life with almost instantaneous energy. After 1900, his virtuosity became one of the visual signatures of the Belle Époque. Died in Paris in 1931, he left portraits, paintings, watercolors and thousands of drawings where the worldly world always seems to be crossed by speed. The "Giovanni Boldini" selection notably compares Réjane on stage and Scène de café. His reading favors the material.

Boldini stares at the face and releases everything else: the dress, the decor and the light soar around the model like the visible trace of her energy.