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Count Robert de Montesquiou 1897 by Giovanni Boldini is one of those images that never dates. Our studio recreates it as a hand painted oil painting — textured, color-rich, and ready to hang as canvas wall art in a dining room, study, or reception area.
1897
Oil on canvas
116 x 82.5 cm
Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.
In 1897, Boldini was engaged, through a mutual friend, Madame Veil-Picard, to paint the portrait of Count Robert de Montesquiou. The painter could not fail to be attracted to the personality of this man of letters, the archetypal, contemporary aesthete and new incarnation of the Baudelarian dandy.
The work reflects both the complexity of the painter's relationship with the model, and the theories of the "modern portrait" set out by Montesquiou in an article, coincidentally, on Boldini ("Painters of Women - Boldini", Les Modes, January 1901). In it he states that the art of portrait painting lies not in photographic verisimilitude, but in the ability to blend the personality of the painter with that of the model. This would make Boldini a modern portraitist par excellence, as in his works he reveals the model's innermost character while at the same time expressing his own opinion.
In this painting, the artist is not content with highlighting Montesquiou's aristocratic elegance, nonchalance and refinement. He holds a cane like a sceptre, transforming it into a symbol of royalty. Boldini appears to be illustrating the first verse from one of Montesquiou's poems in his volume Chauve Souris: "I am the sovereign of transitory things". By putting together a pose taken from the great tradition of 16th and 17th century portraits with an image of modernity, was Boldini wishing to introduce a little irony in regard to Montesquiou's fanatical aestheticism? This is how many commentators at the time interpreted this portrait.
Our artists reproduce this fine art composition in oil on canvas by hand, preserving the tonal range that makes fine art oil painting so sought after for a dining room.
Oil on canvas remains the reference standard for traditional reproductions. Our artists apply pigment by hand, blending the fine art tones directly on the surface for depth that a printed fine art oil painting simply cannot match.
traditional canvas wall art is one of the easiest ways to warm a dining room. Pair this piece with natural linen, dark wood, or brushed brass, and let the hand painted surface do the rest.
Whether the search term is fine art oil painting, dining room wall art, or traditional oil painting wall decor, this hand painted canvas delivers the same thing: a real painted surface, made to your chosen dimensions.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 24 in | $77.98 |
| 24 X 36 in | $120.48 |
| 30 X 40 in | $166.48 |
| 36 X 48 in | $221.48 |
| 48 X 72 in | $430.48 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
Free on orders over $60; a flat $5 below that. Dispatched in 1–2 business days; 30 days to send it back. Full policy.
Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
