Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute) [Hardcover]

Sarah Lees (Author), Mr. Richard Kendall (Contributor), Barbara Guidi (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 19, 2010 | Series: Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute

Distinguished by his brilliantly energetic brushwork, Giovanni Boldini (1842–1931) was one of the most prominent Italian artists of the late 19th century. Still, he has remained little known beyond his native country. This beautiful book is the first published on Boldini in English in a generation and accompanies the first major exhibition of his works outside of Europe.

 

Born in Ferrara, Boldini moved to Paris in 1871, where he lived for the rest of his life. This important volume focuses on his work from 1871 to 1886, which reflects the influence of his contemporaries—Degas, Manet, Caillebotte, Meissonier, and Fortuny, among others. It features Boldini’s fanciful paintings made for the art market and depictions of the city around him—from the bustling streets and squares to cafés, theaters, and concert halls—as well as paintings of friends and models, and a selection of later portraits that established him as one of the quintessential portraitists of the Belle Époque.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sarah Lees is associate curator of European art at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Richard Kendall is curator-at-large at the Clark. Barbara Guidi is curator of modern and contemporary art at Ferrara Arte.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Clark Art Institute (January 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300134118
• ISBN-13: 978-0300134117
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,108,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Handsome catalog for a highly specific exhibition, February 25, 2010

By 

Blue in Washington "Barry Ballow" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute) (Hardcover)

"Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris" is currently on exhibit at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. The Institute has the largest collection of works by the artist outside of Europe. The show catalog is 232 pages of nicely printed illustrations and text on the 30 (more or less) years that Italian artist Boldini spent in Paris, and in particular, his interaction with the Impressionist movement that flowered and waned during that period.

Boldini is an interesting figure as his painting covered a wide spectrum of subjects and styles. There are paintings that are close Sargent at times and Degas at others. He made a living out of portrait painting, especially of society women, and some of this work presages the early 20th Century pin-up art of Vargas and others (in my opinion). On the other hand, his drawings and paintings of people and animals (mostly horses) in poses of action ("Modern Life" and "Night Life" Chapters in this book) verge on the brilliant in their perception and highly skilled renderings. For those few works alone, this book might be worth acquiring for an art library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great. A little disappointing., September 10, 2010

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Rob "Rob" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute) (Hardcover)

I was excited when this book was published. I have always liked Boldini's work particularly his "society portraits". This book has a lot of his landscapes and other works that are great. But I was hoping for a book that had more of his portrait work. That being said, this is still a good book with a nice cross section of Boldini's work. However there are many very small pictures of Boldini's paintings. I do not like it when an art book has small pictures floating in the middle of a white page. There are also several pencil sketches / studies for paintings throughout this book. I would have rather had more paintings and no sketches at all. I didn't feel that these sketches did anything more than take up space and were unnecessary. This is a good, but not great book. A little disappointing for the money.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rare Find!, July 14, 2010

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jjcurran - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute) (Hardcover)

I never thought I would find such a beautiful book about Boldini, who went from being extremely famous (almost as famous as John Singer Sargent) to almost unkonwn today. I amso happy to have found this beautifully produced book of is work, which, in my opinion, should never be relegated to obscurity.

Would have liked to have seen more of his dramatic portraits of ladies in high society.