Portrait of Henri Laurens 1915

Amedeo Modigliani painted this portrait of Henri Laurens, using oil on canvas, sometime in the early 20th century. The most striking feature is the intense, almost mask-like face rendered in shades of red. This bold color choice is reminiscent of ancient Roman portraiture, where red ochre symbolized vitality. Across cultures, red also carries powerful emotional connotations—passion, anger, and even sacrifice. Think of the medieval use of red in religious iconography, symbolizing Christ's blood, or, consider its use in ancient Egyptian art, connoting the desert and the god Seth. Here, Modigliani’s Laurnes takes on a totemic quality, as if the artist is tapping into a primal, collective memory. The elongated neck and simplified features further emphasize the sitter’s universal, rather than individual, identity. The psychological impact is undeniable, and the painting stirs something deep within us, connecting the viewer to an ancient, ongoing dialogue about what it means to be human.