Weiblicher Halbakt (Female Half-Nude)

About the work / Year: 1918

Type: Painting

Medium: Oil paint

Original dimensions: 100 × 65.3 cm

Born in Livorno, Modigliani went to Paris as a young, academically trained painter. He worked primarily as a sculptor from 1909 to 1914. His stone sculptures have an austere, archaic, highly elongated form that also became a hallmark of his painting. This painting belongs to a group of works from 1918 depicting the same red-haired model, whose name is unknown, in different poses. The central subject of Modigliani’s work is the human figure, particularly the erotic female nude. In these works, he deliberately referenced depictions of Venus by artists such as Botticelli and Titian, as well as Ingres’s odalisques. The figures’ flat, stylized forms and their conventionally simplified facial features reflect Modigliani’s love of Egyptian and African sculpture.

Giclée print / fine art etching paper

Amedeo Modigliani (Italian: Amedeo Modigliani; Italian pronunciation: [ameˈdɛːo modiʎˈʎaːni]; July 12, 1884–January 24, 1920) was an Italian artist, painter, and sculptor, and one of the representative artists of Expressionism.

Modigliani was known for his bold paintings of female nudes, which drew harsh criticism from the conservative society of his time and gained recognition only in later generations. Immersed in ancient and Renaissance art from childhood, and closely acquainted with renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brancusi, Modigliani was influenced by late-19th-century Neo-Impressionism and stimulated by contemporary movements such as African art and Cubism. He developed a highly personal style of portraiture characterized by graceful curves, becoming one of the representative artists of Expressionism.