Giovanni Boldini

Copied Malvina Hoffman, Giovanni Boldini, 1928, bronze on integral base, 20 5⁄8 x 10 1⁄2 x 10 1⁄4 in. (52.4 x 26.7 x 26.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Charles Lamson Hoffman Family, 1985.73.2

Artwork Details

Title
Giovanni Boldini
Artist
Founder
Roman Bronze Works
Date
1928
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
20 5⁄8 x 10 1⁄2 x 10 1⁄4 in. (52.4 x 26.7 x 26.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Charles Lamson Hoffman Family
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze on integral base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Boldini, Giovanni — head
  • Occupation — art — painter
Object Number
1985.73.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.73.2

Artwork Description

Malvina Hoffman modeled this bust of Giovanni Boldini as he approached the end of his life. Boldini was an Italian painter whose portraits were in high demand among the Paris elite. Among his works are portraits of other artists, including American painter James McNeill Whistler and French impressionist Edgar Degas. Boldini was impatient and, according to Hoffman, “was very skeptical as to my ability to do the work quickly enough to keep from irritating him.” This bust portrait was made for the Brooklyn Museum, where it was placed next to Boldini’s painting of Whistler. Hoffman’s portrait pleased the Italian so much that he requested a copy for himself.