Amedeo Modigliani ‘Portrait of Woman in a Hat’

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian Jewish artist. He died at the age of 35, unrecognized and unappreciated. Only after his death, Modigliani’s oeuvres achieved success. Fifteen years of his life were dedicated to sculpture, but from a very early age Amedeo dreamed of becoming a painter. He was a talented student who understood art in his own way. His unique perception and desire to break the rules of fashionable movements  provided an important basis for his style.

The strange beauty of Modigliani's works

There are several ideas that were particularly appealing to the painter:

• - He thought that defiance and disorder led to real creativity.
• - He was interested in Symbolism with its distortion of beauty.
• - In his early teens, Modigliani was fond of sadistic imagery which influenced his developing tastes as well.
• - The artist advised to reveal creative power through excitement and exaltation. Unfortunately, Amedeo’s search of pleasure included alcohol, drugs and seduction of women.

Modigliani’s style differs from those of other painters. His nudes and portraits represented elongated faces and bodies that produced a mixed impression on the audience. But that was how Amedeo saw it. Typical of his works were also sloping shoulders, long necks, almond-shaped eyes and subdued colors. In his nudes, he combined this simplicity of features with frank sexuality that often scandalized the public.

Mysterious Jeanne

This contemporary portrait painting depicts Jeanne Hébuterne, Amedeo’s common law wife. He was in love with her till the end of his life. The canvas  made in 1918 was called ‘Portrait of Woman in a Hat’. The lady doesn’t look pretty at first sight because her face proportions are distorted. Her nose is too long, while her mouth is too small. The author doesn’t depict her appearance in detail, so we can’t distinctly see Jeanne’s five fingers. Modigliani doesn’t paint her eyelashes and pupils either. Though the woman’s traits are generalized, her image remains feminine. For instance, the large hat she is wearing makes her look romantic. There is something about her pose: leaning her head on her fingers, Jeanne gives us an enigmatic glance. Can you guess what she is thinking about?

All this makes ‘Portrait of Woman in a Hat’ by Amedeo Modigliani a vivid example of his individual manner. The author doesn't oversaturate it with bright colors or unimaginable shapes – it is simple yet thought-provoking. Purchase a high-quality hand-painted replica of his work and try to solve the riddle of Jeanne Hébuterne’s glance!