Portrait of Mrs Howard-Johnston c1906
The painting titled Portrait of Mrs Howard-Johnston before c1906 by Italian artist Giovanni Boldini (1842 – 1931) is a stunning example of late 19th and early 20th-century portraiture. Boldini, renowned for his elegant and dynamic depictions of high society figures, encapsulates the refined glamour and sophisticated aura of his time in this portrait. The work is characterized by its flowing lines, soft but dramatic lighting, and a sense of movement, all hallmarks of the artist’s style. The portrait showcases a fashionable, aristocratic woman, whose refined demeanor is captured through bold brushstrokes and attention to texture.
Table of Contents
Main Subject: Mrs. Howard-Johnston
The focal point of the portrait is a vibrant and colorful La Belle Époque portrait of Mrs. Howard-Johnston, née Dolly Baird of Dumbarton, a Scottish beauty that married a wealthy industrialist; then after the death of her first husband, she married Du Breuille de St. Germaine which gave her aristocratic status. She is depicted as a woman of grace and authority, her posture erect, her face turned slightly toward the viewer but with an aloofness that suggests both confidence and mystery.
The artist’s skillful use of light highlights her delicate features, from her porcelain-like complexion to her soft, yet defined facial expression. Mrs. Howard-Johnston’s expression is composed, with a slight smile, giving her a sense of dignity and aristocratic elegance.
The composition emphasizes her upward gaze, adding to the sense of her elevated social standing. This choice of angle is common in portraiture of the period, aiming to elevate the sitter in both stature and character. Her gown is a magnificent feature of the portrait.
The fabric is rendered in flowing lines and soft shades of lavender and pink, capturing the luxurious and delicate nature of her attire. Boldini’s brushwork allows the dress to almost flow beyond the confines of the canvas, giving it a sense of fluidity and motion.
The Gown and Attire
Mrs. Howard-Johnston is dressed in an exquisite gown, characteristic of the early 1900s fashion, a period marked by soft, flowing silhouettes. The gown appears to be constructed from a delicate fabric, perhaps satin or silk, as its sheen is highlighted by the artist’s expressive brushstrokes. The color palette of lavender, white, and pink creates a sense of harmony and softness, lending the figure a light, ethereal quality.
The fabric drapes elegantly from her shoulders, with pleats and folds carefully detailed to enhance the realism of the painting. The lightness of the gown contrasts beautifully with the softness of her skin, emphasizing the refined femininity of her appearance.
The floral embellishments at the neckline and along the gown add further to the opulence of the portrait, suggesting that Mrs. Howard-Johnston is a woman who is both fashionably sophisticated and deeply aware of her social status.
Boldini’s use of color and form in the portrayal of the gown contributes to the portrait’s air of movement and dynamism. Even though the figure is still and poised, the flowing fabric and the slight twist of her body imply motion.
This fluidity in the painting is one of Boldini’s signature techniques, as he often emphasized the physicality of his subjects by capturing them in motion or in states of grace. The soft lighting on the gown further adds to the sense of texture, lending it an almost three-dimensional quality.
The Background: Subtle and Minimalistic
The background of the portrait is deliberately muted and abstract, a characteristic approach by Boldini to keep the viewer’s attention solely on the subject. The soft, blurred colors create a sense of depth, but the lack of defined objects or scenery suggests that Mrs. Howard-Johnston’s social prominence is enough to command the viewer’s attention, without the need for additional visual distractions. The background’s gentle tones of gray and beige provide a stark contrast to the rich colors of the gown, ensuring that Mrs. Howard-Johnston remains the central figure.
In many of Boldini’s works, the backgrounds often remain vague and non-descript, serving to highlight the figure in the foreground. This technique aligns with the idea of capturing the essence of the subject, where the personality and presence of the sitter are the focus, rather than any external environment. In this case, the soft background emphasizes the subject’s elegance and timeless beauty.
The Mood and Atmosphere
The overall mood of the portrait is one of grace, dignity, and sophistication. Mrs. Howard-Johnston is presented as a poised and composed figure, reflective of the societal expectations of women during the early 20th century. The artist captures the essence of high society life, where appearances were paramount, and the role of women was often defined by their elegance and social standing.
Boldini’s portrait conveys not only the external beauty of his subject but also hints at the internal strength and confidence of the sitter. The slight upward tilt of Mrs. Howard-Johnston’s head gives the viewer a glimpse of her self-assured nature. The color palette, with its soft pastels, enhances the refined atmosphere of the painting. The warmth of the lavender tones suggests both femininity and a sense of calm, while the fluidity of the gown evokes movement and change.
The mood of the portrait also hints at the historical context in which it was painted. The early 20th century was a time of transition for women, where traditional roles were beginning to shift. Although Mrs. Howard-Johnston’s depiction is grounded in the established norms of aristocratic portraiture, there is a subtle energy in the portrait that suggests her role as a woman of her time, poised to navigate the changes of the coming decades.
Materials and Technique
Giovanni Boldini’s skillful use of oil paints is evident in this portrait, as the medium allows for a depth of color and texture that brings the painting to life. The artist’s ability to blend the soft pastels of the gown with the more intense, darker tones of the background demonstrates his mastery of the medium.
Boldini’s brushwork, which varies from broad strokes to delicate detailing, enhances the sense of movement in the fabric and the hair. The way he renders the softness of Mrs. Howard-Johnston’s skin and the sharpness of her expression highlights his precision in capturing the human form.
Boldini was known for his rapid, expressive painting style, which allowed him to capture his subjects with an almost photographic accuracy while still leaving room for artistic interpretation. In this portrait, the balance between realism and stylistic interpretation is perfect, giving the viewer a vivid, yet timeless, representation of the sitter.
This is a remastered digital art old masters reproduction of a public domain image that is available as a canvas print online.
Artist Bio Derived From Wikipedia.org
Boldini was born in Ferrara, Italy on December 31, 1842, to the son of a painter of religious subject matter. In 1862 at the age of 20, he went to Florence for six years to study and pursue painting.
He only infrequently attended classes at the Academy of Fine Arts, but in Florence, met other realist painters known as the Macchiaioli, who were Italian precursors to Impressionism.
Their influence is seen in Boldini’s landscapes which show his spontaneous response to nature, although it is for his portraits that he became best known
Moving to London, Boldini attained success as a portraitist. He completed portraits of premier members of society including Lady Holland and the Duchess of Westminster.
In 1872 he moved to Paris, where he met and became friends with Edgar Degas. During the late 19th century he became the most fashionable portrait painter in Paris, with a dashing style of painting that highlights some of the Macchiaioli influence and a brio reminiscent of the work of younger artists, such as John Singer Sargent and Paul Helleu.
In 1889, he was nominated commissioner of the Italian section of the Paris Exposition, and received the Légion d’honneur for this appointment. In 1897 he had a solo exhibition in New York City; and he also participated in the Venice Biennale in 1895, 1903, 1905, and 1912.
