Pierre Edouard Baranowski 1918

Amedeo Modigliani painted this portrait of Pierre Edouard Baranowski during a time when Paris was the epicenter of artistic innovation. Modigliani, an Italian Jewish artist, was living amongst a diverse community of artists, many of whom were challenging traditional artistic norms. Here, the subject's elongated features and the smooth planes of color are a testament to Modigliani’s unique modernist style. Baranowski, who was a sculptor himself, is depicted in a suit. Modigliani often portrayed his sitters with a sense of introspection, and the closed eyes further enhance a sense of mystery and inner life. The lack of traditional representation in the eyes forces us to consider how identity is constructed through absence as much as presence. This portrait captures a moment of quiet contemplation and invites reflection on the complexities of identity and representation.