Portrait of Madame de Florian

Giovanni Boldini (Italian, 1842-1931) - Portrait of Madame de Florian, c.1888 (Oil on canvas) - - Among the many paintings discovered in her apartment was a portrait depicting Marthe de Florian herself in a beautiful pink muslin evening dress, painted by one of her lovers, the artist Giovanni Boldini. The portrait had never been listed, exhibited or published, however a visiting card with a scribbled love note from the painter was found in the apartment, and a short reference found in a book from 1951 commissioned by the artist’s widow Emilia Cardona also confirmed the provenance of the painting. According to the book, the work was painted in 1888, when the actress was 24 years old.