The Petit Palais in Paris
Exhibition of works by Italian painter Giovanni Boldini: joy and time
Born in Italy, Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931) went to Florence as a young man to study fine arts, and in 1872 he settled in Paris, where he soon became one of the most popular portrait painters of the time, with high-society ladies vying to commission Boldini to paint portraits of himself. Through the work of Giovanni Boldini, this exhibition offers a glimpse into the colorful "Belle Époque" in Paris.
The Belle Époque (Belle Époque) in France refers to the period from 1880 to 1914, when the French economy was prosperous, science and technology were rapid, there was no war, the cultural and artistic fields were flourishing, and the bourgeois lifestyle was becoming more refined and luxurious.
Boldini's artistic career largely coincides with the Belle Époque in Paris, and his work accurately captures the life of the bourgeoisie. French writer Marcel Proust admired Boldini's paintings, praising them for "penetrating into the hearts and souls of characters," and the title of the exhibition is taken from Proust's 1896 collection of prose poems, Joy and Time.
Scène de fête (Banquet Scene), Giovanni Boldini, circa 1889
Portrait de la princesse Marthe-Lucille Bibesco, Giovanni Boldini, circa 1911
La signora in rosa (Woman in Pink), Giovanni Boldini, 1916
Peaceful Days by Giovanni Boldini, 1875
Madame Marthe Régnier by Giovanni Boldini, 1905