Self Portrait 1919

Amedeo Modigliani painted this self-portrait on canvas sometime in the early 20th century, and it's like a peek into his artistic soul. Look at how Modigliani builds up the form with these loose, gestural brushstrokes, almost like he’s sketching with paint. The palette is warm, earthy – ochres, browns, and reds – but then he throws in these cooler blues and grays to create depth. You can almost feel the texture of the paint, thick in some areas, thin and transparent in others. The way he renders his jacket, it’s almost like a landscape in itself, with valleys and peaks of color. It reminds me of Cezanne, in the way he's breaking down form into these simple planes and shapes. But Modigliani's got his own thing going on, that elongated face and almond-shaped eyes, it’s so distinctive. Ultimately, this painting is less about capturing a likeness and more about exploring the act of seeing itself.