Born in Ferrara, Italy in 1842, Boldini spent most of his career in Paris. He was a close friend of Degas and also of Proust, and moved in aristocratic and upper middle-class circles. During his lifetime, he enjoyed considerable success, becoming the favourite portraitist of a rich, international clientele. In Paris, the fashion capital of the world, he had no equal when it came to portraying princesses and rich heiresses – always wearing the most beautiful dresses. His inimitable style, which was modern but at odds with the avant-garde, has made his works captivating and moving testimonies of that lost era in Paris.
This exhibition benefited from support from the italien Ministry of Culture. 
This exhibition is supported by Dior. 
The auditorium’s programming around the exhibition is made possible thanks to the generous support of Mrs. Natalia Logvinova Smalto, founder of the Fondation Signature – Institut de France.
Curators
- Servane Dargnies-de Vitry, curator of 19th century paintings at the Petit Palais.
- Barbara Guidi, director of the Museo civico di Bassano.
In partnership with
