Portrait of Emiliana Concha de Ossa, full length, wearing a white dress 1888

Giovanni Boldini painted this full-length portrait of Emiliana Concha de Ossa, wearing a white dress, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Boldini was known for his portraits of high-society women, and Emiliana, of Chilean aristocracy, certainly fits this mold. The portrait captures Emiliana in a moment of poised elegance, yet the wispy brushstrokes and soft color palette evoke a sense of fleeting, ephemeral beauty. Boldini's technique seems to both uphold and question the traditional representation of women in art. While the subject is undeniably beautiful and adorned in luxurious attire, there's also an unconventional directness to her gaze, a hint of individuality that transcends the typical society portrait. The white dress, a symbol of purity and status, contrasts with the dark choker around her neck, adding a layer of complexity. Emiliana embodies the complex position of women in society at the time, where they were both celebrated for their beauty and confined by social expectations.