Giovanni Boldini

Born in Italy in 1845, he studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Florence. He was part of a group of artists that worked in the realist style known as the Macchiaioli. In 1871 he moved to Paris and established himself as a portrait painter. He painted in the USA, Italy and in England displaying a popular, flamboyant technique. His work was brought to an end with the onslaught of the First World War.