Female Bust in Red 1915

drawing

toned paper

childish illustration

caricature

possibly oil pastel

fluid art

acrylic on canvas

coffee painting

france

portrait drawing

watercolour illustration

watercolor

Amedeo Modigliani's "Female Bust in Red" (1915) is a captivating depiction of a female figure. The artist's signature elongated neck and almond-shaped eyes are characteristic of his style, which blends influences from African art and early 20th-century modernism. The bold application of red paint across the canvas creates a sense of immediacy and vibrancy, while the simplified form and minimal detail contribute to the work's expressive power. This work is a fine example of Modigliani's mature style, known for its bold strokes, striking colors, and simplified forms.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

In Paris, where he moved in 1906 from his native Italy, Amedeo Modigliani stood out from the ebullient avant-garde with his mysterious, long-necked portraits—paintings of arresting solemnity. From 1911 to 1913, he explored stone sculpture, creating a series of geometric heads inspired by African masks. Poor health forced him to abandon the labor of direct carving, but the feel and gesture of sculpting resurfaced in Female Bust in Red, along with memories of a much earlier art. Here the forms are condensed into solid blocks, and the vigorous brushstrokes seem to mimic the chisel’s blows. The head bows with silent elegance in a modern echo of Gothic Sienese paintings depicting the Virgin Mary.