Sunday 21 August 2022

The Fanfarona's Coda

 


Behold the source of my recent mischief! It is Giovanni Boldini's portrait of Marchesa Luisa Casati with a greyhound, painted in 1908.

Although this image is in the public domain and lives on innocently on the Wikimedia Commons, it seems this is the controversial image that put a spotlight on Your Correspondent's hitherto well-concealed Rake-shame ways and drew the ire of a Pinterest peruser. 

For why? Who knows?! Maybe it was the Marchesa's notoriety during the life she lived so extravagantly? Or the lavish accessorising in feather and fur?

We will never discover the source of the affront; it seems I was a mere Fanfarona in bragging to you, Dear Reader, that I lived my own life as a sordid and salacious libertine! The Pinterest Police have loosed the shackles on my wrists saying they have reviewed my appeal and apologise for their mistake. No explanation was given and the image was put back.

Although a reminder was given to review the guidelines on, ahem, "what is and isn't allowed on Pinterest", Pipistrello is back to being a rather pedestrian hausfrau. Oh, well, È meglio così, as we say around here - It's better this way. I'm rather too lazy to be a busy Rakehell.


Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

20 comments:

  1. Interesting that at the pre-WW1 Salon, poor old Boldini didn’t know how to respond. Did the black clothing remind some viewers of witches? Was the Marchesa’s face too harsh for many male critics? Meanwhile other people found La Marquise Casati to be mesmerising. Perhaps the vigorous portrayal was merely a sign of supporting modern women?
    Pipistrello, I think the Pinterest “authorities” were simply reliving the old uncertainties, 110+ years later.

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    1. I really don't know what goes on behind the scene, dear Hels, you may be right but I wonder if the small adventure just came about from a Neighbourhood Watch-style reporting. Or someone clicking the tempting Report Image button, wondering what would then happen. Anyway, wherever one lands on the subject of Boldini, I am completely enamoured of his style!

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  2. Now that the offending artwork is revealed the Pinterest policing is even more confusing. At the very least I had imagined that it might involve nudity or even some wandering tendrils.

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    1. So did I, dear Rosemary! My first thought was that my account had been hacked and someone was littering the place with saucy images and then my more reasonable self thought it was maybe a Mucha poster with a little too much bosom showing, finally getting its marching orders by the New Puritanism. The Boldini has proved to be just mystifying.

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  3. Oh dear. This image was deemed too offensive by the Pinterest Police? The mind boggles. I do not see anything particularly scandalous in this image.

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    1. You and me both, dear Loree. Perhaps this is an example of the kind of community-censorship that is creeping into these places. In any event, Pinterest backed down when I objected, so there must be a rather broad net scooping things into the naughty corner.

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  4. The Artistic Police might have found the work a tad 'slick', but otherwise it's pretty inoffensive; even the dog. What WERE they thinking!

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    1. Who knows, dear Cro? Maybe this was a rumbling of the perils in future that lie await for those who so blithely pose with a pet. Scandalous!

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  5. .........as we all know and often say, this is a crazy world we are living in. Classical art in all its beauty is so wonderful to ponder over but now often banned - whereas just turn on the TV and see how disgusting that has become!!!

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  6. RIDICULOUS!
    I LOVED HER..........READ THE WHOLE BOOK ON HER AND EVEN WANTED TO VISIT HER GRAVE SITE!SEEMS SHE HAD NO MONEY AT THE END..........BEAUTIFUL PAINTING!AGAIN THESE PEOPLE TODAY HAVE ZERO TASTE!

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    1. Is it "Infinite Variety", of which you speak, dear Contessa?

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  7. Ah, the modern guardians of (modern?) morals. Compass lost. Obiviously.

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    1. Thus shepherding us all into a morass, dear Sean. Obviously.

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  8. Dear Pip - "it's all Dutch to me" (because I stayed for a little holiday in the Netherlands and was not looking at any blog, so I am completely in the dark.)
    All I can say: what a beautiful painting - and what a beautiful woman! Not an easy woman, I think, a little mischievous perhaps, but that is pepper in a personality. And the dogs are no lap-dogs (a friend from Italy explained that term to me and gave it a completely new meaning for me) - so I do not see why anyone should get angry at such a picture!
    The next day I will start research on what-so-ever is behind that little eye-catcher.

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    1. A little holiday, dear Britta? How delicious! And I am pleased to be able to introduce you to the Boldini style of woman in all her lush Art Noveau glory!

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  9. How very odd when you think of some of the images that pop up ..... I'm hard to embarrass BUT, ....... XXXX

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    1. So true, dear Jackie, for I'm sure I've tripped over some rather racy stuffs before on olde Pinterest. Maybe they've been exiled and it's now time for the censors to look long and hard at the completely and fully clothed artistic offerings! xx

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  10. It's a stunning portrait. I would be happy to come across it while perusing the internet.

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    1. And for memorialising oneself with a pet, dear Bea, I think this style should set a new/old standard.

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