Girl with Pigtails 1918

Amedeo Modigliani’s “Girl with Pigtails” is a smaller, intimate oil painting that captures a young girl. It’s got this overall reddish, warm tone, with a cool blue area behind her, so you know it's a Modigliani right away. I can only imagine Modigliani’s process, standing before the canvas, brush in hand, trying to capture something elusive. It’s like he's trying to get a feeling across, not just what she looks like. His linear and graphic style is so distinctive, and the way he flattens the space, exaggerating the neck – it’s all part of his signature. The surface of the painting is pretty smooth. You can almost see the traces of the brushstrokes, like whispers of the artist's hand. The paint is thin, which makes the colors feel alive. There is something both modern and classical about it. I find it really relatable.