Modigliani's paintings

WHAT / HOW

 

HOW EXTENSE IS HIS BODY OF WORK

Paintings are the work that gave merit to the name.
Many influences, from Cézanne to old masters and a bit of cubism but in all the works there is always a perfect Tuscan line.
To learn and understand the way he painted gives a whole new sense to the word "artist."
All his paintings are based primarily on drawing and line, his curves are answered by other curves perfectly, his brush work always answering a need. There is not a single line out of place.
Use of Golden measure is a constant.
Take one brush stroke out and the composition becomes flat, a master brush-stroke is present in all "HIS" works (which makes it easier to note the fakes.)
He deals and wins perfectly with the medium, what looks like a mistaken tip is in reality a pop up brush to bring something to the viewer.
There are a few things that the forgers didn't know and this can help to discard them:

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All the works presented in this page are my selection, on this page I take out by my own will the works I don't like
not because I think they are fakes or original, just because I don't like them.

REPEAT: I do not say none of this are fakes or original, I just present them as I like.
If you have anything to add, contact me.
He always started with a drawing made with the brush (dark color line).
Worked the figure at the same time as the background and after that he went into the details.
Oval of the face is never closed at the chin, eyes are never identical (symmetry).
Nose is redrawn at the end.
Size and the area that is used by the subject has its magic trick (golden measure).
Line divides the face like a drawing from the Italian renaissance.

You can contrast step by step his method And many more, but especially: the lines are still visible at the end.
If you get the opportunity to see his work in an x ray you discover how incredible and precise was his way of working, and this refutes all the theories of a drunken painter...
In terms of Iconography He was a very simple painter, never painted mythological or situation scenes, his portraits are exactly that, His nudes are nudes and the few landscapes are just landscapes.
All the poetical perfection, human connection, situation in time, etc. comes from the exact position of line and color, and basic brush work.
He didn't need a bunch of angels or a block of prostitutes dismembered to gain his own place in "Parnassus".
I will try not to enter into expert's crap and fake pseudo-metaphorical analysis of brush stroke but leave it as a simple information.
Brief classification of works:
A.- Portraits
B.- Caryatids
C.- Nudes
D.- Landscapes
A B C D
Renee Kislingamedeo modigliani Standing nude arms open amedeo modigliani nude seated amedeo modigliani Cypresses and Houses amedeo modigliani
A.1 -Heads
A.2 - Bust
A.3 - Chest complete
A.4 - Reaching waist/hip
A.5 - To thighs
A.6 - Knees or legs visible
A.7 - Feet visible
A.8 - Couples
Cold painted sculptures
Always are the central composition		 C.1 - Reclining nudes
C.2 - Seated Nudes
C.3 - Standing nudes		 Only a curiosity
A.- Portraits

Usually one subject in some cases 2, he places the subject against an almost blank background marked only by a few lines / blocks of color to enrich the composition and create atmosphere (in 2 or 3 examples we see landscape background as in "La belle epiciere"), at this point his use of golden measures becomes sublime from 1916 to 1920.
The most common position is seated, as in a classical composition remembering great old masters, in some cases you see a chair, in others the wall or the blanked (in white) window and in only a few you see other things like a candle holder, curtains or the headboard of a forged bed.
He is a man with a desire: show to the world what lies inside of the person that the eyes can't see, that is why some of his portraits are hard or even ugly to see (mainly the ones depicting people from the art world and the biz in it.)
One of his greatest goals is quickly seen when we look at the children and some poor people, you see every day people, struggling people but from his view more meritable than kings and queens.
Take a look at the Picasso drawing with the "savoir" text and discover what he really thinks of the Spaniard (In my opinion, You poor pretentious...) or to the ones made of Rivera (I guess that he saw him as a self satisfied gluttonous funny friend).
Some of them present a special talisman or charm like for instance jewelry or a scarf or even a cigarette.
Paintings can be easily identified in 8 types ranging from a simple head to a couple.

A. 1- HEADS

Head and some details, face centers the composition, the neck or in some cases the shoulders are visible
As much the first sights of the chest or bust.
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 31 works
6 in profile - 25 frontal.
woman amedeo modigliani woman amedeo modigliani Beatrice Hastings amedeo modigliani amedeo modigliani
A .2- BUST

Face and bust chest visible in part, details show figure in placement, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space, no hands visible
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 55 works
4 in profile - 51 frontal.
Jeanne Hébuterne half turned to the right amedeo modigliani Cheron amedeo modigliani Léopold Zborowski Bust amedeo modigliani Jeanne Hébuterne Head amedeo modigliani
A .3- CHEST COMPLETE

Face and bust chest visible complete, details show figure in placement, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space, no hands visible
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 61 works
2 in profile - 59 frontal.
Elena Povolozky amedeo modigliani Man with hat amedeo modigliani Beatrice Hastings amedeo modigliani The Zouave amedeo modigliani
A .4 - REACHING WAIST AND HIP

Face and bust chest complete reaching waist, details show figure in placement, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space, arms and hands visible
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 61 works
2 in profile - 59 frontal.
Antonia amedeo modigliani Gaston Modot amedeo modigliani Jeanne Hébuterne with hat amedeo modigliani amedeo modigliani
A .5 - TO THIGHS

Face, bust, chest, waist to upper thighs, details show figure in placement, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space, complete arms and hands visible
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 74 works
4 in profile - 70 frontal.
Beatrice Hastings seated amedeo modigliani Madame G. van Muyden amedeo modigliani Elvira white collar amedeo modigliani Seated boy amedeo modigliani
A .6 - KNEES OR LEGS VISIBLE

Face, bust, chest, waist ,thighs, reaching the knees or calf, details show figure in placement, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space, complete arms and hands visible
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 49 works
2 in profile, 46 frontal.
La petit Louise amedeo modigliani The beautiful vendor amedeo modigliani Girl with a Polka-Dot Blouse amedeo modigliani Seated boy with cap amedeo modigliani
A .7 - FEET VISIBLE

Face, bust, chest, waist ,thighs, complete legs, details show figure in placement, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space, complete arms and hands visible, shoes visible
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 2 works
(no profile) all frontal even in body is in profile, 2 frontal.
Servant Girl amedeo modigliani Girl in blue amedeo modigliani
A .8 - COUPLES

Figures with no symmetry, one is always much higher that the other, both own half of the canvas in composition terms
details show figure in placement, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 3 works
3 frontal.
two girls amedeo modigliani Bride and groom amedeo modigliani amedeo modigliani
B.- Caryatids

They are all from the period of sculpture, they can be seen as sketches or as painted sculptures, if we give credit to some of the biographers he was exhausted from sculpting so this is the way to save all the time that it would have taken him to sculpt them.
I consider them quite annoying in comparison with the rest of his production that presents the inner soul of the portrayed, in the Caryatid you only see the formal aspect, the limit of the form and the representation of a structure, no feelings, just a concept.
All of them are central compositions.
using ceroni's catalogue:
5 Full body
2 to the knees
1 Bust

Standing nude arms open amedeo modigliani Cariatide amedeo modigliani Cariatide amedeo modigliani Red bust amedeo modigliani
C.- Nudes

In his nudes we see carnality at its best. We can find traces of Titian, Botticelli and even Manet or Ingres. He shows a total talent at a time when the nude was losing all its sexual content to become a mere representation (remember Picasso and his "demoiselles d' Avinyo")
They are probably the most desired production for the museums and wealthy collectors, a small number of really glorious paintings and for commercial purposes, a recognizable work (Iconic).

Since the scandal of Manet's " Déjeuner sur l'Herbe", in my opinion only Modigliani has portrayed the female body in such a sexual glory, beauty and mystery.
C .1 - RECLINING NUDES
A total approach to carnality, to the sensual, nudes from the Venetian golden times under a modern perspective, confronting the viewer without any soft iconography sustent.
details show figure in placement, couches, blankets, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Background set figure in space
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 22 works
2 in profile (face, not body)
2 Showing the back (face frontal)
18 full frontal
nude amedeo modigliani nude amedeo modigliani Nude amedeo modigliani Nude amedeo modigliani
C .2 - SEATED NUDES
A total approach to carnality, to the sensual, nudes from the Venetian golden times under a modern perspective, confronting the viewer without any soft iconography sustent.
details show figure in placement, couches, blankets, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Model is seated
Background set figure in space
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 6 works
all frontal
Seated nude amedeo modigliani Seated nude amedeo modigliani Nude with coral necklace seated amedeo modigliani nude amedeo modigliani
C .3 - STANDING NUDES
A total approach to carnality, to the sensual, nudes from the Venetian golden times under a modern perspective, confronting the viewer without any soft iconography sustent.
details show figure in placement, couches, blankets, chairs, door, window, walls, etc.
Model is standing in front of the viewer
Background set figure in space
Based in Ceroni's catalogue 2 works
all frontal
Standing nude amedeo modigliani Nu Medicis amedeo modigliani
D.- Landscapes

Modigliani, in his mature work, was not interested in natural surroundings or in the effects of light, only in humans so then he painted human structures...
We have samples said to be from his first years, I am not sure about them, so I will just say they don't reflect the maturity of the final artist, They just stay up to the bright examples from the south of France and the Cézanne influence.

All in all, landscapes by Modigliani are just like "having fun with the brushes" (quality and fun of course).

A total anomaly in his oeuvre, the ones fully accepted are from the south of France period ( I'm not including the portraits on exterior - just a few) all of them don't show a frozen landscape with no human activity, in one we can see what seems to be a car or the handrail of a balcony
Using Ceroni's catalogue 4 works
Cagnes Landscape amedeo modigliani Landscape of the MIDI amedeo modigliani Cypresses and Houses amedeo modigliani Tree and houses amedeo modigliani

An this is all, if you want to see it more in deep take your choice:
complete modigliani paintings by year
1898 to 1910 paintings by amedeo modigliani1911 to 1913 paintings by amedeo modigliani1914 paintings by amedeo modigliani1915 paintings by amedeo modigliani1916 paintings by amedeo modigliani1917 paintings by amedeo modigliani1918 paintings by amedeo modigliani1919 paintings by amedeo modigliani
paintings of amedeo modigliani by subject
wooden walls in the background of amedeo modiglianiabstract backgrounds in amedeo modiglianicolor lines in amedeo modigliani backgroundsfurniture in amedeo modiglianichairs in amedeo modiglianioutdoors backgrounds in amedeo modiglianifirst works backgroundcaryatids as subject in amedeo modigliani paintings
paintings by background
wooden walls in the background of amedeo modiglianiabstract backgrounds in amedeo modiglianicolor lines in amedeo modigliani backgroundsfurniture in amedeo modiglianichairs in amedeo modiglianioutdoors backgrounds in amedeo modiglianifirst works background
catalogiers of paintings by amedeo modigliani
wooden walls in the background of amedeo modiglianiabstract backgrounds in amedeo modiglianicolor lines in amedeo modigliani backgroundsfurniture in amedeo modiglianichairs in amedeo modiglianioutdoors backgrounds in amedeo modiglianifirst works background