Portrait of Diego Rivera 1916

Amedeo Modigliani made this portrait of Diego Rivera with oil on canvas, and wow, it's something else. You can see the raw energy, the process. The ochre background feels alive. It's not just color; it's a mood, like a stage. Modigliani laid down these thick, juicy strokes of black and white to conjure Rivera’s face. The paint isn't trying to hide anything. It’s there, physical, like the embodiment of a thought. There's this one little squiggle of paint, right near Rivera’s ear. It's like a glitch in the matrix, a tiny rebellion against the idea of a fixed image. Modigliani reminds me a bit of Soutine; both unafraid to let the paint do its thing. Art isn't about answers, it's about the questions. It's an open conversation and this painting is Modigliani's way of keeping it going.