A girl in yellow dress 1917

Amedeo Modigliani painted this portrait of a girl in a yellow dress with oil on canvas. The artist’s signature elongated figures remind me of El Greco, or maybe even Parmigianino, but with a totally different mood. I imagine Modigliani in his studio, perhaps in Paris, in the early 20th century, mixing his paints, carefully choosing the right shades of yellow and ochre for the girl's dress and pale skin. Look how thinly he applied the paint. I wonder if he layered the colors to build up the luminosity of the dress? The model’s hands are clasped delicately in her lap, the lines are simple, almost childlike, but they convey a quiet dignity. The long, elegant neck and almond-shaped eyes give her an ethereal quality, as if she is both present and distant. It feels like Modigliani is asking us to really look, not just to see, but to feel the weight of the world through his eyes. Painting is a portal, a way to see the world, and feel it too.