A Corner Of The Artist’s Studio With A Bust Of Leopoldo De Medici 1905

Giovanni Boldini made this watercolor, A Corner Of The Artist’s Studio With A Bust Of Leopoldo De Medici, with quick, wet marks, and a dark but vibrant palette. Look at how the brushstrokes wash over the paper, creating depth and volume! The painting seems to have come into being quickly through trial, error, and a good amount of intuition. I feel like Boldini is showing us his world. What was it like to be him, arranging the studio just so, then throwing paint at it? It’s like the stage set for a play, all props and personality. The watercolor paint is thin, washy, and translucent; it gives the whole image a feeling of spontaneity and light, a scene caught in a moment. Check out how Boldini renders the vase of flowers with just a few strokes of pink and green. It’s juicy and immediate, and it tells you everything you need to know about his artistic approach. I feel like this piece connects to his portraits of fashionable women. All that capturing of energy and immediacy, of beauty, of life! Painters have always been in conversation with one another, exchanging ideas, inspiring creativity. Painting is embodied expression. It embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations.