Giovanni Boldini, Ritratto di giovane donna di profilo (Eleonora Duse)
This portrait by Giovanni Boldini is one of the masterpieces of the exhibition. Critics have identified this magnetic face, with its great refinement and elegance, as that of Eleonora Duse, an icon of international theatre and one of the muses who inspired D’Annunzio’s literature.
The canvas embodies all the artistic qualities that made Boldini the most sought-after, admired and revolutionary portraitist of the Belle Époque. The Ferrara-born artist succeeded in completely breaking free from the rigidity and static nature of the traditional academic pose to focus on capturing a fleeting moment in time.
Boldini’s extraordinary painting technique is displayed here in all its power, through those characteristic long, fluid and vibrant brushstrokes, often described by critics as veritable ‘slashed strokes’ of colour.
Within the space of this canvas, the female figure stands out sharply from the stereotype of conventional beauty. The subject appears aware of her own intellectual and seductive charisma, yet at the same time is imbued with a subtle psychological fragility. Boldini does not merely depict the elegance of a haute couture gown or the grace of an aristocratic profile; rather, through his use of paint, he succeeds in bringing to life the very essence and restless spirit of an era. Eleonora Duse was a keen and passionate observer of the status of women in her time. Far from having secured the rights that would have made her equal to men, Italian women were, in the actress’s own words, victims of an ‘Oriental prejudice’ that rendered them morally enslaved, confined solely to the role of mother. Married women were not granted the freedom to love or to be their husbands’ partners, whilst unmarried women were denied the chance to fulfil themselves outside marriage. Duse’s privilege was to live beyond these social constraints. She married Tebaldo Marchetti, separated from him, and subsequently became involved with Arrigo Boito and, later, D’Annunzio. According to the actress, to combat the cultural backwardness in which Italy found itself, a revolution was needed in the field of education for both women and men. Her commitment to the women’s cause never took the form of political struggle; nevertheless, she was a role model for many women, fostering a path towards self-awareness and intellectual independence amongst Italian actresses at the dawn of the 20th century.