2. Portrait of the Artist Lawrence
Alexander Harrison, 1902
There are several noteworthy features
of this portrait. First, study the
extraordinarily fluid brushstrokes
which delineate the fabric of the
suit. The strokes define the folds
and texture of the fabric, but also
the gesture of the figure. Not a
stroke is wasted. Economy of means
is the watchword here. Secondly,
note the unusual play of light over
the figure, emphasizing the hand
and, surprisingly, the leg. The
hand is a marvel of elegant draftsmanship,
and is as revealing of character
as is the very simply defined head.
Click painting to enlarge.
Oil
on canvas, 50 x 40 inches
(127 x 102 cm).
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iovanni Boldini (1842-1931) occupies a unique
and glamorous position in the history of portraiture.
Extraordinarily successful as a painter of European
high society, his dazzling bravura style, combined
with brilliant precision, has made him one of
the most admired and studied artists of all
time. In fact, he occupies a position in that
fabled "triumvirate of titans" at
the very pinnacle of portrait painting in the
golden era at the close of the nineteenth century
and the beginning of the twentieth. The names
of John Singer Sargent, Boldini and Sorolla
(the great Spanish master) are invariably linked
when artists discuss this period. While this
remarkable trio shared numerous characteristics,
Boldini's work was distinguished by his slashing,
rapier-like brushstrokes. Boldini was, like
the other two, a consummate draftsman as well
as a master painter of carefully observed tonal
values. But these qualities were often overpowered
by the explosive brush attack.