The Typographer (Pedro) 1909

Amedeo Modigliani made this portrait of ‘The Typographer (Pedro)’ with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how the layers reveal a process of looking and looking again. The face is built up with these warm, earthy tones, ochres and siennas, floating in a sea of cool blues. Look at the way the blue paint is scrubbed onto the canvas around the figure, it’s almost like he’s emerging from the depths. You can see how Modigliani has allowed the materiality of the paint to remain visible, the brushstrokes are distinct, almost like the work is unfinished, but I think that's the point. There’s a rawness to this portrait which reminds me of some of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s portraits, they share a similar kind of directness. Both artists are unafraid to leave traces of their process visible, and perhaps this openness is what makes their work feel so alive, so present. It is a reminder that art is a conversation.