Portrait of Diego Rivera 1916

Amedeo Modigliani made this striking portrait of Diego Rivera using oil paint. The surface is intensely worked, with dark looping lines that describe the body set against a bright orange ground. I can imagine Modigliani in his studio, circling the canvas, building up the image through layers. This isn't just about depicting someone; it's like he's wrestling with the paint, trying to capture something essential about Rivera. The gray mask of the face contrasts with the expressionistic brushstrokes across the orange ground. You can see drips, smudges, and quickly applied strokes, particularly around the face. It’s like he’s feeling his way through the portrait. The conversation between Modigliani and Rivera didn't end with this painting. Artists are always responding to each other, picking up ideas, and pushing back against them, in an ongoing, timeless dialogue. Each mark here testifies to that shared history and to the unpredictable process of painting itself.