Portrait of a Woman with a White Collar 1919

Amedeo Modigliani painted this 81 by 54 cm oil on canvas, Portrait of a Woman with a White Collar. Notice how the composition is structured around the contrast between the soft, elongated form of the woman's face and the stark geometric lines of her collar. The artist's deliberate use of muted tones and the smooth texture of the paint create a serene yet unsettling effect. Modigliani’s stylistic choices, such as the blank eyes and simplified features, depart from traditional portraiture, challenging our expectations of representation. This deviation can be seen as a critique of conventional portraiture, mirroring the broader shift in early 20th-century art towards abstraction and subjective expression. The formal elements of this artwork invite us to question the nature of identity and representation. It serves not just as a likeness but as a meditation on the human form. As we look, consider how Modigliani prompts us to reconsider the boundaries between appearance and essence.