Portrait of Mrs. Howard-Johnston
Portrait of Mrs. Howard-Johnston before c1906 by Italian Painter Giovanni Boldini (1842 – 1931); an Italian genre and portrait painter who was known as the Master of Swish, due to the flowing brush strokes of his painting style.
This 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 wearing a silk white and violet off shoulder sheer full length dress that has a very deep v-neck with a large floral ribbon bow at the center and rings on both of her hands.
In her right hand that is slightly behind her right hip she is holding a large silver and white overcoat that is draped on the floor behind her legs.
This is a remastered digital art old masters reproduction of a public domain image that is available as a canvas print online.
Info Below 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.
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