Woman Seated by a Fireplace 1915

Amedeo Modigliani painted this portrait of a woman seated by a fireplace, we don't know when, and it's oil on canvas. Look at the way Modigliani thins his paint, creating a veiled effect as if our eyes are struggling to bring the image into focus. The face is mask-like, and reminds me of the way he approached sculpture. It is as though he wanted to reveal something essential. The color is muted, warm reddish browns and blacks, with a stark white triangle of the fireplace behind her. There's a beautiful tension between the flat planes of color and the subtle gradations that give depth. Notice the woman’s hands, clasped in front of her. They are rendered with a delicate touch, contrasting with the bold strokes that define her dress. Modigliani was part of an artistic community in Paris that included Picasso and Brancusi. They were all looking to ancient and non-Western art for inspiration. Like them, he was searching for a new language of form.