Chaim Soutine 1916

Amedeo Modigliani painted this portrait of Chaim Soutine with oil on canvas, likely in Paris during the early 20th century. The visible brushstrokes give texture to the piece, building layers of color to create depth and form. Modigliani's distinctive style is evident in the elongated features and simplified shapes. He has reduced Soutine to a series of planes, capturing an essence rather than a literal likeness. The earthy tones, from the ochre jacket to the warm red background, contribute to the sitter’s presence. The materiality of the oil paint itself is key to the painting’s impact, as Modigliani employed diluted paint to capture the light and shadow across the subject’s form. It's a reminder that even in portraiture, the material act of painting shapes our perception of the subject, and the way that the artist and his contemporaries existed in the world.