AMEDEO MODIGLIANI (1884-1920)
Self-portrait, 1910 Pencil drawing on paper. H: 38 cm W: 26 cm "With one eye, observe the outside world, with the other look deep within yourself" Modigliani"s favorite themes are the human figure and the nude. In his paintings, Modigliani develops a certain number of stylistic criteria such as the strongly defined line, the delimitation of surface, the stretching of the bodies, a factor of elegance and the almond-shaped eyes often placed asymmetrically. This way of working with volumes is undoubtedly linked to his previous practice as a sculptor. Modigliani"s paintings are remarkable for their simplicity and sobriety of lines and colors. His works reflect a taste for rigorous and sober compositions. Despite the simplification and distortion, Modigliani"s portraits lose neither character nor expressiveness. The portrait, from the front, is simplified. The eyes are almond-shaped, the nose shows a long profile, the neck is elongated in reference to Botticelli.