Cléo de Mérode 1901

Giovanni Boldini made this painting of Cléo de Mérode using oil on canvas. Boldini’s loose brushwork here almost makes the painting seem unfinished. The material qualities of oil paint, its fluidity and capacity for blending, are pushed to their limit. The portrait is quickly and efficiently rendered. Boldini was a virtuoso, but we should consider the social context in which he was working. He had many commissions and a lot of work to do. The way he handled paint speaks to the culture of production in which he was working. At the time, painting was considered a high art, distinct from craft traditions that required years of training. Yet, the speed and efficiency with which Boldini worked almost suggests an industrial process, like a factory churning out portraits for a hungry market. It is an interesting reminder that all artmaking is a kind of work, even when it's elevated to the level of "genius."