New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-29

else 50 far his method was concerned. He had
the touch Of that school which was TO eliminate
in Fortuny. He vivacous, gttering. brllIlant
as a virtuouso is brilliant. He went from Ferrara
10 Florence stayed there six years and perfected
himself more and more In the exquisite. vibrant
style which belonged TO him at his birth. The I'M
preston left upon him by Italy especially by ltai-
ian gardens and their rococo decorations, may De
felt In pictures executed long after his departure
from the South Some OF them owned in New
York where in fact. this side Of his art Is more
familiar than that which is likely 10 be brought
before the public now. Most people know the cur
tain which fills the prosceniun OF the Garden Inc
atre with kind of flashing elegance Ihat was
taken from painting by Bo.dni in the possession
OF Mr. Stanford White, whose portrait by the way
has heen paintd by the artist and Is likely TO figure
IN an exhibition of the atters works to be held In
this city during the season. The curtain OF course
is not satisfactory equivalent for BololM CON-
summate art but 1t gives an idea Of what that art
is like in its decorative. thoughtless phase Bodini
uas devoted 10 this kind OF thoughtlessness for II
long time He loved 10 paint group OF gaAants
in the time Of the Great Monarch playing at chess
or lounging in some old garden He was content
~ make a dazzling picture, 10 play marvellous
tricks with costume raise trife into the region
~ art through technical magic and amateurs grew
20 ooy.t his dainty panels they did the pictures
=, Eortuny and the sketches Of De Nttis. whom, oy
IN. way Boldni resembles when he paints PaTi-
eian street scene.
p,ta far back as inc sl1tes bOIuAl4 vega" !"
,.,n, nortraits In London at that time he painted
= "a, uouand the Duchess OF Westminster and
cher great ladies' He instantly became fashiona-
HE Little by little the garden scenes and other
tribe. were pushed into the background. Boldini
come, TO America to-day as a portrait painter pure
ana simple In that capacity he has almost phe-
nouenal traits. His early inesse has disappeared
IN 40 far as It implied passion for the minutia OF
,bs subject 1t survives in the painters mastery
aloouence OF detail when eloquence Is demanded.
M. where he once cultivated polished dellcacy
n. now has vigor and breadth-vigor, II should be
adasd amounting TO headlong bravura. This Is
one of the great charms Of his art His tall can
vases seem executed In moments Oh passionate en-
thusiasm The range Of color Is not very wide.
often II seems as II the artist had been working
with nothing but gray. black. white and few
touche. of pink Yet the result Is dazzling. There
"a something In the rapid style. something In the
originality OF the design, something In the breath
less atmosphere OF the canvas, which endows the
almost sketchy portrait with the attributes OF a
masterpiece. In sheer "actuate" there Is nothing
10 beat him in all continental art, and not even
Mr. Sargent has so sure touch as Signor Boidinl.
These dash!ng portraits OF his are executed with
incompatible frmness and fuency. So decisive is
the touch In fact that sometimes II leaves an ef-
feet O, hardness Herr Muther. writing OF the
gifted italian observes that sometimes his figures
are nude. In their clothes" and 1t is un-
doubtedly true that In many OF these portraits the
rense Of organic presence is 50 strongly con-
conscious only Of a tangible personality, vibrating
with nervous force and modern!ty. How curously
II compares with the artists early conception OF
costume! In the old days we have said he
used TO paint garden pictures for the sake OF
getting pretty color effects out of aces and silks.
Now he paints them Is novelist OF the time might
describe them with kind Of intellectual emotion
for all their subtleties and psychologists Mr.. Sar-
has been called cynical, and his sltters have
been betrayed. people have thought In that
their worst sides have been revealed. Slgnor Bodn
apparently knows neither nor best side. He
Is coldly indifferent 10 the ethical question, he
paints exactly what he sees in a spirit which you
would call purely scientific II It were not accom-
panied by much elegance. so much art so much
charm.
Bodini Is. in short. one OF the most spontaneous
painters Of his time and when It is considered that
with him the momentary eject no; only cor
rectly and syupathetlcally observed but nawlessly
rendered, as in electrical fash OF comprehen-
sion and Interpretation. II will be seen that his
work. as q whole, Is unique. II is without pos
sessing any disappointing limitations either Bold
tni can paint men, women and children with equal
ease. In the gallery OF the Ufizi at Florence
which IL devoted to pictures of artists painted by
themselves he Is represented by sketch Of him
self, straw-hatted alert, modern. which would in
cline you to think that he could not paint the
fragile delcacy Of a woman II he tried. But the
private drawing rooms OF Paris and London are
hung with portraits by him which are incarnations
Of feminine witchery and coquetry and his pictures
Of children equally successful The exhibition
Of his works which will be held here this winter
10 expected to embrace the portraits OF Whistler.
Verdi the Princess Poniatowski Mrs Adolf Laden
burg and Mr.. Stanford White. which he has
brought with him from his studio and home in
Paris II IL to be hoped that. from other sources
other pictures may also be secured, and that the
AWkI H. HS t.