After the Bath

A hushed courtyard holds two figures caught in an ordinary moment. One person stands drying off with a large white towel, freshly bathed, while another lies stretched out on a jumble of patterned rugs and fabrics. Oranges have tumbled loose across the floor, and a vivid blue and gold parrot clings to a perch at the far left. The pale walls behind are worked in loose, sketchy strokes, and the warm, dusty light gives the room a calm and drowsy feel.

The painter here is Giovanni Boldini, an Italian artist who built his name in Paris with flashy, elegant portraits of the wealthy and fashionable. This picture finds him exploring something quieter, dipping into the "Orientalist" trend that swept through Europe in the late 1800s, when many painters imagined dreamy scenes of North Africa and the Middle East. His energetic hand still shows through in the whip-quick brushwork, particularly in the tangle of colorful cloth and the rough texture of the surfaces. Painted in 1895, it is a small and personal work compared to his glittering society portraits, but it captures his love of color and his fast, lively touch just as well.