Fig. 5. Giuseppe De Nittis, Return from the Races. 1875. Oil on canvas. 74.8x131x8.6 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art. — Fig. 5. Giuseppe De Nittis, *Return from the Races.* 1875. Oil on canvas. 74.8x131x8.6 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art.

By Simona Mezzina

Another significant painting depicting the Bois de Boulogne is Return from the Races (fig. 5), in which De Nittis focused his attention on what could be seen as a secondary moment, namely the spectators leaving the Hippodrome after the ending of the races. From the point of view of a painter who wanted to document the everyday life of the high Parisian bourgeoisie, however, this was a fundamental instant to capture, a perfect collection of individuals gathered as they attended one of their favourite pastimes. Despite his quick brushstrokes, the artist managed to immortalize gestures, poses and attitude of each figure in astonishing detail, especially in the dresses and accessories of the ladies in foreground, providing a picturesque rendering of bourgeoise fashion. In a style that could be defined as a perfect mix between realism and impressionism, Return from the Races is one of De Nittis’ most accomplished society portraits, a faithful document of the character, habits and fashions of Paris, like those of Guardi and Canaletto were of eighteenth century Venetian life.

Only a year before completing this work, De Nittis had exhibited his works at Nadar’s studio, in the famous first Impressionist exhibition. The influences the group had on him are clear when looking at the delicacy with which he observed the soft autumnal clouds, the sheerness of the light that penetrates through the foliage to create different effects on the dresses, and the imperceptible sunshine which nonetheless surrounds the entire composition. At the same time, the emphasis on the precision of the line and intricate composition is evident, harking back to his days at Portici alongside his friend Adriano Cecioni, where they reworked the principles of realism on the example of the macchiaioli group. It is, in fact, a highly realistic depiction of the fashion of the time that of the ladies in the foreground, one of the two looking at the viewer in the same manner of Manet’s subjects, breaking a theatrical fourth wall to look directly into the viewer’s eyes. In both dresses the bustle is still present, as the painting was completed before the diffusion of the long-limbed silhouette. Focusing on the woman in figure 6, one can notice the predominance of different shades of blue, a colour widely in vogue at the time, as well as the striped fabric employed for the bodice.

Fig. 6. Giuseppe De Nittis, Return from the Races (detail). 1875. Oil on canvas. 74.8x131x8.6 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art. — Fig. 6. Giuseppe De Nittis, *Return from the Races* (detail). 1875. Oil on canvas. 74.8x131x8.6 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, an Emile Pingat day dress dated 1874 (fig. 7), only a year before De Nittis’ Return from the Races, allows for a reflection on the trends of the time. When visiting Paris, many wealthy women made it their mission to fill their trunks with the latest styles, confident that a Parisian wardrobe would have that je ne sais quoi that was both untranslatable and inimitable. While many followed the well-travelled path to Worth's door, others of a more adventurous spirit sought out the craftsmanship and creativity of the city's other distinguished maisons de couture. One of the couturiers especially favoured by Americans was Emile Pingat, another male designer in competition with Worth. In this day dress, Pingat makes effective use of a bold striped fabric; caught up in front drapery and then cascading down the bustled back, it also sparingly accents the bodice at the collar and cuffs and at the sides of the back. The stripes are skilfully utilized again, on the diagonal, in loops finishing the train, and the motif is echoed by variegated fringe edging the embroidered net trim. Pingat's eye for detail and his flawless workmanship are evident even in the understated areas of his design, as in the vertical tucks that subtly accentuate the fit of the solid blue back of the bodice

Fig. 7. Emile Pingat (France). Reception dress, ca. 1874. Silk with stripes of dark blue satin and tan plain weave; dark blue silk faille; ivory silk embroidery on silk net; ivory and dark blue silk fringe. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art. … — Fig. 7. Emile Pingat (France). *Reception dress*, ca. 1874. Silk with stripes of dark blue satin and tan plain weave; dark blue silk faille; ivory silk embroidery on silk net; ivory and dark blue silk fringe. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art. 1938-18-12a, b. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ogden Wilkinson Headington.

At night, outdoor activities left room for indoor parties and soirée. De Nittis and his wife certainly did not fail to be as involved in these as they could be, both as hosts and guests. Edmond de Goncourt, editor of the then famous Journal and close friend of the painter, introduced the couple to Princess Mathilde Bonaparte in December 1880, securing their access to the most fashionable and culturally relevant events of the capital. The Princess was Napoleon III’s former fiancée, before his engagement to Eugénie de Montijo de Guzmán, and had been granted a divorce from her wealthy but dissolute Russian husband Anatol Demidoff directly from the Czar. As a result, she arrived in Paris with a large settlement, and established the most important literary salon that the city saw in the nineteenth century. De Nittis’ painting Il Salotto della Principessa Matilde (fig. 8) is set in the Hôtel on rue de Berri which constituted the fourth and last residence of the noblewoman. It is an extremely precise depiction of the lavish environment in which the Princess, depicted in the background while chatting to an old man with a white beard, was used to entertain her guests. Dresses, of course, make no exception. Empress Eugénie had turned Charles Frédérick Worth into a proper fashion guru and all the imperial circle were clamouring to be dressed by him. Despite being highly critical of the frivolousness of the Empress, not even Princess Mathilde, with her literary salon, could resist the charme of the British dressmaker. While she declared that she dressed to please herself and was no slave to fashion, the Princess was often found on rue de la Paix, where Worth’s atelier stood, visiting jewelers and florists and then dropping into the boutique to look at his latest creations, building a friendship that lasted thirty-five years.

In De Nittis’ depiction of the Princess’ salon, the protagonist of the elegant soirée seems to be the anonymous lady in the foreground, wearing a black gown and giving her back to the viewer. The painter’s study of artificial light in such a dark environment dominated by hues of crimson and black, allows the eye to be caught by certain elements on the right side of the painting which seem to be lit from the inside. The beautiful still life on the table where the lady in black is sitting leaves room to the mesmerizing alabaster skin of the lady in the background, her deep décolleté showing a shape very much in vogue for evening gowns. By the 1890s, in fact, the bustle was no longer in fashion and skirts were reduced in size. The preferred silhouette of a woman was an S-curve, which was something that a new style of corset made possible. The corset that women wore to help create the S-curve pushed the bust forward and the hips back. The black evening dress created by the House of Worth (fig. 10), in the collection of the MET museum, shows the drastic difference in shape from dresses with a bustle. At this time, black became a very popular color for women and it was not only suitable for the mourning period. It was often combined with floral patterns or embellished with lace and ribbons, to add some contrast and detail to the gown.

Fig. 8. Giuseppe De Nittis, Il Salotto della Principessa Matilde. 1883. Oil on canvas. 73 x 91 cm. Pinacoteca De Nittis, Barletta, Italy. — Fig. 8. Giuseppe De Nittis, *Il Salotto della Principessa Matilde*. 1883. Oil on canvas. 73 x 91 cm. Pinacoteca De Nittis, Barletta, Italy.

Fig. 10. House of Worth (France). Evening dress, ca. 1898. Silk and cotton. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1976.258.4a, b. Gift of Miss Eva Dexel Dahlgren. — Fig. 10. House of Worth (France). *Evening dress*, ca. 1898. Silk and cotton. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1976.258.4a, b. Gift of Miss Eva Dexel Dahlgren.

Fig. 9. Charles Frédérick Worth (France). Evening dress, ca. 1882. Silk. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2009.300.635a, b. Gift of the Princess Viggo. — Fig. 9. Charles Frédérick Worth (France). *Evening dress*, ca. 1882. Silk. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2009.300.635a, b. Gift of the Princess Viggo.

Throughout his career, De Nittis was able to capture the essence of modernity expressed in the fleeting transience of fashion. His paintings constitute a testament of taste and wealth of a society that was going to experience its most prosperous years, only shortly before the tragedy of the First World War. The technique with which he painted combined the most delicate Impressionist eye with the precise and naturalistic point of view stemming from his Italian training, to create an incomparably soft and elegant body of works. De Nittis was a charismatic man, artist and socialite, and this is clear from looking at his oeuvre. Through his depiction of high society life, he creates insight into the use of fashion not only as an aesthetic statement but also as a societal tool to manifest a new-found wealth. With his painting, he narrates the modern city and the elegance that Baron Haussmann’s renovation infused it with, translating life into an aesthetic experience as stated by Baudelaire in his Painting of Modern Life.

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