Anna Akhmatova 1911

Amedeo Modigliani made this drawing of Anna Akhmatova with ink on paper; he got right to it, didn't he? There's something about the starkness of the lines that gets me. The way he's pared everything down, almost like a blueprint, but a blueprint for a feeling. It's more than just a likeness, it feels like he’s trying to capture the essence of her presence. Check out the lines that form her dress, so economical and yet they manage to convey volume, shadow and a certain kind of weight. The way her head is bowed; it could be seen as sadness, introspection, or maybe just plain tiredness. I love how he doesn’t spell it all out for us; that little cluster of strokes that form her hair leaves space for our imagination. You might think of Matisse here, the reduction of form, but this drawing has a vulnerability that feels very particular to Modigliani. It’s a reminder that art is often about asking questions, not giving answers.