Seated Nude 1917

Amedeo Modigliani made this painting, Seated Nude, with oil on canvas. Look at the way he's modeled the body, blocky and voluptuous all at once. It’s like he’s carving out a form in paint rather than just describing it. I love how Modigliani plays with opacity. The flesh tones are built up from thin washes, letting the canvas breathe underneath. Then, he'll add these sharp, dark outlines that pop the figure forward. Check out the confident strokes that define her gaze. It's this push and pull between line and volume, transparency and weight, that gives the painting its energy. It also invites you to look at the figure's sensuality and presence. In its flattened perspective and bold color, I'm reminded of Gauguin. But Modigliani adds his own melancholic mood. It's a special alchemy.