The Jewish Woman 1908

Amedeo Modigliani made this portrait of a woman, called 'The Jewish Woman', with oil on canvas at an unknown date. There’s something about the way Modigliani approaches the face that feels so modern. The colours are not quite naturalistic, yet the overall effect is strikingly human. You get the sense of a person thinking, feeling. It’s like he’s trying to get to the core of her essence. Look at how he’s handled the paint. It’s thin and transparent in places, allowing the canvas to show through, and thicker in others, creating a subtle texture. The way he's used blue and pink in the face, it’s like he’s building up the form with colour, rather than just describing it. Those red lips are particularly striking, a small burst of energy in an otherwise muted palette. Modigliani reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker, in that they both have this knack for capturing the quiet dignity of their subjects, but Modigliani's style is more fluid, more about line and form. Painting is a conversation.