Italian artist Giovanni Boldini represents the beautiful and renowned society singer Jeanne Max, wife of Jules Charles Max. Around the turn of the 20th century, she famously … and frequently … received “all the Parisian elite” in her salon. This life-size, full-length portrait, executed in white and gray tones, was exhibited at the Salon of the Société nationale des beaux-arts. Critic François Thiébault-Sisson praised it: “In the scabrous art of accentuating, by the unexpectedness of movement, through the unexpected, often risky, pose, the grace and piquancy of his models, Boldini knows no rival." Jeanne walks slightly towards us, and shows an uninhibited, smiling and relaxed gaze. Madame Max wears an silvery-white dress, supported at the waist by a gold sash and at the shoulders by a single, thin gold stripe (the other appears to have provocatively slipped over her right shoulder) and with a generous neckline. Boldini highlights the oval of her face, where the pink cheeks stand out from her short, tousled hairstyle. The brushstrokes that draw her face are descriptive and attentive to detail. In his depiction of the gorgeous dress, Boldini resorts to his famous "saber cuts" for her regal almost ethereal evening gown. This use of long and delicate brushstrokes, allows Jeanne to seemingly acquire an unprecedented lightness. In the background, Boldini depicts a simple molded doorframe. Boldini carefully details the anatomy of Madame Max, as observed by art critics Giorgio Cricco and Francesco Di Teodoro, "the left leg is slightly raised, with the knee consequently advanced and the corresponding arm slenderly backwards, to balance the step, while the right hand skilfully gathers the long dress to further facilitate the gait." This unstable and dynamic pose lifts her sensuality … and our appreciation for the legendary socialite, Madame Max.

Madame Charles Max (Jeanne Max) by Giovanni Boldini (Italian) - Oil on canvas / 1896 - Musée d’Orsay (Paris, France) #WomenInArt #art #ArtText #artwork #JeanneMax #GiovanniBoldini #Boldini #Muséed’Orsay #womensart #oilpainting #portraitofawoman #portraitofalady #socialite #FemmeFatale #BelleÉpoque