Tuesday, November 4, 2014

A Portrait of Whistler

Portrait painters have often observed that the more faithful the likeness, the more the subject will hate it.

Sir John Lavery, who knew James Abbott McNeill Whistler well said that Giovanni Boldini's portrait of him was a speaking likeness.

But Whistler didn't think so. He said: "Well, they tell me it is very like me, but, thank God, I am not like it."

Lavery painted a word portrait of Whistler:

"When he got in front of the [mirror] to brush his hair he behaved exactly like a woman settling her permanent wave, placing individual locks, moistened to keep their form, in their allotted places so that they did not interfere with the gray wisp of which he was so proud that stood out of the damp shiny curls on his forehead. His eyebrows were thick and black, his eyes sharp as needles, while a sensitive nose and mouth with prominent chin made up his features."

"He had beautiful hands, though somewhat claw-like, especially when he would clutch one by the arm to drive home a point. A low, turn-down collar with a narrow black-ribbon bow adorned his wrinkled neck, and his general appearance was that of a small alert ringmaster, whip in hand. I can never remember seeing him, even in the country, in anything other than what are known as court slippers, causing him to be very careful where he stepped out of doors."

From The Life of a Painter by John Lavery

The painting is in the Brooklyn Museum, but is not currently on view. Artist: Giovanni Boldini, Italian, 1842-1931 Oil on canvas, 1897, 67 1/4 x 37 1/4 in.

8 comments:

Tom Hart said...

How has Boldini stayed under my radar for so long?! His handling of paint is very similar to Sargent (with whom I see he was a contemporary).

James Gurney said...

Tom, Boldini was wonderful for a fashionable style of portraits, but he was capable of honest and insightful studies, too, as with the one of his friend Adolph Menzel: http://uploads3.wikiart.org/images/giovanni-boldini/adolf-friedrich-erdmann-von-menzel.jpg

Tom Hart said...

Wow, that's an amazing portrait of Menzel, James. Thanks for pointing it out. I hope others take a look too...

poggy said...

Not that I want to put myself anywhere near Boldini's league, but this is one of the reasons I usually refrain from doing portraits (though that's usually the first thing people ask for when they find out you're an artist): I guess that even the least egocentric of us have actually a pretty defined self image, and while an unflattering photo can be blamed on the mechanical medium and other external agent (lighting, etc.), in a drawing or painting the artist's interpretation feels more tangible, so they're easier to blame :)

cameron said...

Didn't something very similar happen to William Merritt Chase as well? From what I know, he and Whistler had intended to do portraits of each other, and while some called Chase's portrait of Whistler extremely honest, Whistler hated it so much that he destroyed his companion portrait of Chase.

http://www.wikiart.org/en/william-merritt-chase/james-abbott-mcneill-whistler

It's a rather severe piece.

Mitch said...

Wow, Boldini's use of red through the ears, eyes and nose really adds a sense of menace or alcoholism or both. And what in the world was Menzel thinking with that beard?

Gavin said...

Boldini's long been one of my favourites. He frequently had a habit of making hands quite long and claw like, it's part of his recognisable style. His portrait of Whistler seems to capture so much more expression than a classical or realist portrayal could possibly ever hope to achieve.

J.Z.TORRE said...

Boldini! His daring, expressive bravura strokes portraits are a step beyond even the best of Sargent - IMHO.