Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor and lived from 1884 to 1920. He is best known for his paintings and sculptures that were done in his own original style. His style can be characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of the body.
His interest in African masks and sculpture comes through in his portraits especially in the treatment of the sitters' faces: flat and mask-like, with almond eyes, twisted noses, small mouths, and long necks. Many say his portraits convey a strong sense of the sitter's personality. Do you agree?
I grew up with two Modigliani prints in the living room of my childhood home and I always thought they were portraits of my mother and father. I still have them and as an adult, I realized that they are both portraits of women. I'm not sure what that does or doesn't say about the identity of my parents, but his work remains a favorite of mine to this day.
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