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The Dispatch-Bearer

?1879
Not on view

Boldini made his debut at the Salon of 1879 with this vignette of contemporary urban life. The partially visible inscription of "garde républicaine" on the soldier’s bag indicates that he is delivering correspondence on behalf of the Parisian municipal guard. He has arrived so early that the concierge is still washing the sidewalk; a couple bids a discreet adieu at right. Large spectacles outside an optician’s shop encourage viewers to look closely at the action. One critic found the painting "a bit nonchalant and glittering," but praised its sense of life and rapid motion, concluding, "Boldini is more than a fashion painter."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Dispatch-Bearer
  • Artist: Giovanni Boldini (Italian, Ferrara 1842–1931 Paris)
  • Date: ?1879
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: 16 3/4 x 13 1/2 in. (42.5 x 34.3 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Martha T. Fiske Collord, in memory of her first husband, Josiah M. Fiske, 1908
  • Object Number: 08.136.12
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

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Portrait of Edward G. Kennedy (1849-1932), Giovanni Boldini Italian, Black graphite
Portrait of Edward G. Kennedy (1849-1932)
Giovanni Boldini
1842–1931
Whistler Asleep, Giovanni Boldini Italian, Drypoint
Whistler Asleep
Giovanni Boldini
James McNeill Whistler
1897
Whistler Asleep, Giovanni Boldini Italian, Drypoint
Whistler Asleep
Giovanni Boldini
James McNeill Whistler
1897
Whistler Asleep, Giovanni Boldini Italian, Drypoint
Whistler Asleep
Giovanni Boldini
James McNeill Whistler
1897
Whistler Asleep, Giovanni Boldini Italian, Drypoint
Whistler Asleep
Giovanni Boldini
James McNeill Whistler
1897

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