Seated Nude 1918

This drawing of a nude was made by Modigliani, although the date remains unknown. Imagine Modigliani with his charcoal, moving around the model, trying to capture the essence of her form in a few lines. The line is so delicate, so tentative, it’s as if he’s feeling his way around her body, mapping out its contours with a kind of reverent touch. Look at the way the lines curve and flow, suggesting the softness of skin and the roundness of flesh. It’s a simple drawing, almost austere, but it conveys so much with so little. It's definitely him, though, so it must have come about with a little struggle. I wonder if he was thinking about other artists who had drawn nudes before him? Picasso perhaps, or Ingres. Modigliani was part of a huge conversation across time and place. Each artist responds to those who came before. They push things forward into new territory.