Woman With a Necklace 1917

Amedeo Modigliani painted this portrait, Woman With a Necklace, on canvas with oils, but when, where, and why, we can only imagine. I wonder, what kind of mood was Modigliani in when he painted her? Was he in love? The model's neck is so elongated, reaching skyward, and her expression is one of simultaneous wistfulness and pensiveness, her small red lips pursed. Thick black paint is applied to the dress in quick, sure strokes, but elsewhere, such as in the face and the background, the paint is so thin it almost looks like watercolour. Her hands are painted yellow, like a ray of sunshine amidst all the heavier tones. There's a dialogue between the earthy browns and blacks and the radiant, warmer colours, which reminds me of some of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s portraits. And, like many painters, there's a sense of Modigliani experimenting, talking to his forebears while trying out something new of his own. Painting feels like that; a constant conversation across time.