Head of Anatolia 1900 - 1920

Amedeo Modigliani made this drawing, Head of Anatolia, with pencil on paper. What strikes me first is how he coaxes a face from the bare minimum. The image is built from spare lines on a pale ground, somehow conjuring up a figure that is both present and absent. It’s not a solid, fixed thing, but rather a collection of marks that suggest a person. Those closed eyes are interesting – they imply a kind of inwardness, a world that we, the viewers, aren’t privy to. But there’s also something vulnerable about them, as if she’s opened herself up to the artist’s gaze. Thinking about other artists, I see a connection here with Matisse, who also had that ability to evoke volume and form with just a few strokes. Ultimately, this drawing reminds us that art is about possibilities, about what can emerge when we allow ourselves to see beyond the surface.