Giovanni Boldini

Born in Ferrara in 1842, Giovanni Boldini was interested in art from an early age, so much so that by the age of five he had already set up a small studio in his home's barn. Independent by nature, he did not pursue further studies and instead learned his first painting lessons from his father Antonio, a purist painter drawn to the 15th-century masters. After some experiences in Ferrara, he moved to Florence and enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts. He frequented the famous Caffè Michelangiolo, a meeting place for the Macchiaioli, artists who inspired him. After his Florentine period, drawn to broader horizons, he moved first to London and then to Paris, where he settled in 1871 and found his definitive consecration, especially as a portraitist of splendid female figures. He died in Paris in 1931.