Modern and Contemporary Art Head of a Woman Made in France, Europe1912 Amedeo Modigliani, Italian, 1884 - 1920 Limestone * Gallery 169, Modern and Contemporary Art, first floor 1950-2-1 Gift of Mrs. Maurice J. Speiser in memory of her husband, 1950 |
LabelThough widely recognized for his painted portraits of women with elongated features, Modigliani equally considered himself to be a sculptor of the first rank. He created around two dozen stone sculptures between 1909 and 1915, utilizing the direct carving techniques he had learned in Paris from the Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi. This bust of a woman's head displays a stylized, modern interpretation of non-Western art--especially Cycladic and Egyptian statuary--also referenced in the artist's oil compositions. Modigliani found sculpture to be a prohibitively expensive and physically demanding process, which explains why he did not produce more three-dimensional works in his short lifetime.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
