Nudo di Giovane Seduta 1931

Giovanni Boldini laid down the svelte figure in this painting with brisk strokes, probably in oil. The color palette leans towards whites and browns. I imagine Boldini stepping back, squinting, then lunging forward to add another flick of paint. He’s got a specific type of brushstroke, sort of dry and scratchy, that makes the figure feel alive. The paint application is so light and fast. There’s a sense of movement, and the pose isn’t static. The brushwork around the edge of the composition, for example, is looser than in the more central passages. I get the feeling Boldini wants to capture a moment in time. It’s kind of like Degas. Painters look at each other, you know? They find their way to express something about what it means to be alive, right now. They see each other seeing.