A Head 1915

Amedeo Modigliani made this painting, A Head, with what looks like oil on board, and you can find it at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris. I love the way Modigliani uses color here; that stark, almost terracotta red against the deep, moody blues and greens is so striking. It's like he's carving out the face with color. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the board coming through in places, like around the edges of the face. It reminds me of how important material is. The way he layers the paint is quite gestural, with these confident strokes defining the nose and jawline. Notice that one eye is just a blank space. It’s a bold move, and one that emphasizes the painting’s surface. Modigliani's work has a through line to someone like Francis Bacon, in the way they both distort and elongate the human form. Ultimately, there's a mystery here, and I think that's what keeps us looking.