Reclining nude with Left Arm Resting on Forehead 1917

Amedeo Modigliani made this reclining nude, with her left arm resting on her forehead, using oil on canvas. It’s all about the color, really, that kind of fleshy, orangey-yellow that Modigliani was so into. And look at the surface! The paint isn’t trying to trick you into thinking it’s anything other than paint. It’s not thick, but it's not exactly thin, either. It sits right there on the canvas, doing its thing. I love how the dark lines kind of trap and then release the colour, especially around the shoulders, her upper arms, and the side of her left leg. Like he’s drawing with paint, but also letting the color breathe. It makes me think of Matisse, but with a little more… longing, maybe? A little less sure of itself. And that’s what makes it so alive. It’s like a conversation, not just about painting, but about how we see and feel. It's not just a nude, it's a whole way of looking at the world.