Caryatid 1911

Editor: This is Modigliani's *Caryatid* from 1911. It appears to be pastel and charcoal on paper. I find it really striking how the figure seems to be simultaneously burdened and defiant. The pose is so sculptural, almost architectural, but the pastel gives it a delicate vulnerability. What catches your eye? Curator: Vulnerability is a fascinating lens through which to view it. I’m drawn to that tension too, that duality. Imagine the weight – literal, societal, existential – implied in that title, “Caryatid,” a sculpted female figure used as a supporting column. Now, look at Modigliani’s lines; they are elongated, almost painfully so. They speak of struggle, but also of reaching, of striving for something beyond. Is it defiance, or a quiet endurance? Perhaps a bit of both? It almost feels like the artwork itself is rising from the page. Don't you think? Editor: I agree. It’s not a passive pose. The upward reach is so evident, particularly the long stretched neck and arms. It reminds me of Art Nouveau but feels rawer somehow. Curator: Precisely. It's Art Nouveau tempered with a deeper emotional current, almost Expressionistic in its intensity. Those early years in Paris, surrounded by Brâncuși’s sculptures, tribal art, no doubt fueled this exploration of form and emotion. You see how Modigliani isn't simply depicting a nude, but he is instead channeling the spirit, the *essence* of the Caryatid. What did you take away from our discussion? Editor: That the tension between strength and fragility, the blend of influences, creates something powerfully evocative. It is definitely something I will look for next time I view Modigliani. Curator: Couldn’t have said it better myself!