Page. Greyhound games

Giovanni Boldini (Ferrara, 1842 - Parigi, 1931)

GPB 610

1954, olio su tela, cm. 34,7x53,8

This small costume scene is an interesting example of Boldini's early pictorial production, traceable to the late 1860s. The furnishings give the setting an evocative tone, well aligned with the revival taste of the second half of the 19th century. The warmth and familial intimacy of the scene support the thesis that it was Alaide Banti, the daughter of the Macchiaioli painter Cristiano, with whom the young artist had stayed during his Florentine period, who dressed the costume. The deep bond that united Boldini to Alaide is testified not only by the dense correspondence but also by the numerous paintings and drawings depicting her: despite a marriage proposal rejected in 1903 due to Cristiano Banti's opposition, the relationship between the two would never be interrupted. The painting would enter the Luigi Frugone Collections in 1928 - again thanks to Stefani - while Alaide would disappear the following year: on that occasion Boldini called her his “fiancée of already 60 years.” The painting shows a young girl in Renaissance pageboy clothes as she is intent on playing with a greyhound, lying on a large sofa. On the background is a tapestry while the floor is covered with a rug.