Jeanne Hebuterne in Red Shawl 1917

Curator: Amedeo Modigliani painted this portrait, titled "Jeanne Hebuterne in Red Shawl," in 1917. It’s oil on canvas, and resides in a private collection. Editor: Immediately striking is the figure's stillness. There's a quietness, a resignation almost, in her elongated face and downward gaze. Curator: Hebuterne was Modigliani's muse and lover. What's fascinating is how Modigliani consistently represents her – this almond-shaped face, elongated neck... These weren’t realistic portrayals. How does his process shape our understanding of her as an individual and also a representation of his broader social circle and artistic process at the time? Editor: The smoothness of the paint is remarkable; such broad swathes of colour define her clothes and surroundings. The red shawl practically vibrates against the purple background. I am very intrigued with what was the price and accessibility of pigments in that time? Because here the production of a vivid red pigment had socio-economic dimensions as much as a purely artistic one, didn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Modigliani and his circle struggled financially, so materials were a crucial consideration. Though there is always the question of patrons and the broader context of how portraits sustained many artists during this period. Was this commissioned, a gift, a representation to circulate and reinforce connections? How does his choice to render Jeanne repeatedly affect how people viewed not only the woman but Modigliani himself? Editor: Also, the canvas itself— was it prepared a certain way? You look closely, and the paint handling is far from fussy. We get a strong sense of the quickness, almost a sketching quality to it. How much of that directness do you think came from economic need and artistic decision to showcase process? Curator: It's hard to say definitively, but likely, there was both an aesthetic and economic urgency at play here. What endures is that her portrait, as one example among many, circulates widely to reinforce his signature approach and to build on a body of portraits from a highly regarded painter. Editor: Agreed. What is amazing with this image is its place in the chain of making images available that makes us feel so deeply close and human together. Curator: It underscores how historical figures come down to us.