Young Woman in a Shirt (The Little Milkmaid) 1917

Editor: We are looking at "Young Woman in a Shirt (The Little Milkmaid)" by Amedeo Modigliani, created in 1917 using oil paint. It's currently held in a private collection. I'm struck by the pose of the figure and how it is a portrait but reads as vulnerable. What formal elements jump out to you? Curator: The painting exhibits a carefully constructed arrangement of lines and planes. Note the elongation of the neck, a hallmark of Modigliani's style, which serves to create a sense of elegance and sophistication. Consider how this deliberate distortion interacts with the flatness of the picture plane. Are we to read this as simply representational or does the distortion lead to greater aesthetic complexity? Editor: That’s an interesting question, I hadn’t considered how the proportions contribute to the aesthetic instead of detracting from realism. It also looks like she has no pupils. What is the affect of the blank eyes? Curator: Observe how the absence of pupils simplifies the form of the face. The formal result is an almost mask-like quality, drawing attention away from psychological depth and towards the surface qualities of the paint itself. We see, therefore, how a painting ostensibly a portrait, deconstructs its own subject. Is there further flattening of depth? Editor: Now that you mention it, the background uses similar tones to the figure and clothing. This contributes to the flattening of depth as well as echoing of color relationships throughout the piece. Thanks for sharing your expertise! Curator: Indeed. Through meticulous formal analysis, one may decode Modigliani's project of painting reduced to its elementary visual components.