A corner of the painter’s canteen, c. 1897

Oil on panel, 116 x 38 cm
Museo Giovanni Boldini, inv. 1376

This still life is one of Boldini’s rare and fascinating trials in this genre, treated mostly as a private exercise. The elongated format and bold composition of the work are decidedly singular. The framing, almost perpendicular to the table, emphasizes the precious silver and porcelain service and the initials “GB” embroidered on the tablecloth, attributes of a high social status now fully acquired by the artist. The work’s intimate and evocative atmosphere unites it with other views of the house and atelier that from the mid-1980s played a prominent role in Boldini’s artistic research. These views were gradually stripped of human presence, leaving room for the representation of environments and objects, the true protagonists of the painter’s private universe capable of arousing emotions and suggestions. These are no longer mere formal elements, but become living and eloquent presences that show the observer aspects belonging to the artist’s most intimate and personal sphere.