Head of a Girl 1918

Amedeo Modigliani painted this elongated "Head of a Girl" with oil on canvas at an unknown date. The way he lays down color is amazing, right? See how the girl's face is built up with these reddish, peachy hues? That's the process, the slow build of color giving her form. Now, look closely at the eyes. Or rather, the absence of them. They're like almonds, blank and mysterious. It’s as though Modigliani is asking us to look beyond the surface, to sense something deeper within this girl, something beyond the need for pupils. The way the neck stretches out, it's almost like a silent note, a drawn-out vowel sound in the composition. It reminds me a bit of some Byzantine icons, where the figures have this otherworldly quality. But Modigliani does it with such a modern twist, doesn't he? Like he's saying, "Yeah, I see the past, but I'm gonna do it my way." Ultimately, there's no single answer, just a continuous unfolding of ideas and possibilities.