Artwork
After the Bath
After the Bath is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Giovanni Boldini. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: Boldini
About this work
Technique & Style
The small scale of the panel suggests an intimate approach to the subject matter.
Executed in 1873, this work is an oil painting applied to a wood panel support. The composition measures 25.4 cm in height and 34.29 cm in width. Classified as a nude genre scene, the piece demonstrates Boldini's application of oil paint on a rigid surface rather than canvas, a material choice that defines its physical handling and preservation characteristics. The small scale of the panel suggests an intimate approach to the subject matter.
History & Provenance
The painting After the Bath by Giovanni Boldini was created in 1873 as an oil on wood work. It entered the market through P. L. Everard & Co. in London and was sold at Hotel Drouot in Paris on 28 April 1873 as Le Bain turc. The artwork subsequently passed to M. Faure in Paris, then to George I. Seney, who sold it at the American Art Association in New York on 11-13 February 1891 as lot 158.
It was resold at the American Art Association on 11 April 1892 as lot 11 and acquired by Stanford White. Upon White's death, it entered his estate sale at the American Art Association on 11-12 April 1907 as lot 29, purchased by William A. Clark. Clark bequeathed the work to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in April 1926, where it remained until its acquisition by the National Gallery of Art in 2015.
The painting After the Bath by Giovanni Boldini is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in April 1926 and later acquired by the National Gallery of Art in 2015. The work measures 25.4 cm in height and 34.29 cm in width.
Overview
Created in 1889, After the Bath is an oil painting on wood by Giovanni Boldini, an Italian artist who spent the bulk of his professional life in Paris. The work belongs to the nude genre and captures a fleeting, intimate moment following a bath.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a woman clothed in a loosely draped white robe, positioned beside a mirror. While her back faces the viewer, the mirror reflects her face and hints of the surrounding interior, suggesting a private, domestic setting.
Context
Boldini’s reputation for elegant, swift strokes earned him the nickname “Master of Swish.” After the Bath exemplifies his characteristic approach to portraiture and genre scenes, merging a fashionable Parisian aesthetic with a focus on movement and sensuality.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Boldini (31 December 1842 – 11 January 1931) was an Italian genre and portrait painter who lived and worked in Paris for most of his career.
