Alice - one of Modigliani's final portraits before his untimely death. Gone are the exaggerated elongated features that define his trademark style. Instead we see Alice, not through a decorative lens, but as she truly was in life – a girl on the cusp of womanhood.
Her eyes, though slightly slanted, gaze directly at us. They harbor a confident calmness, yet reveal little of her inner soul. She stands formally dressed, hands folded, with a gold cross laying on her heart – hints of her faith peeking through the canvas. Modigliani captures her in this fleeting in-between moment, between child and adult, in those last months before the Spanish Flu swept through.
The image breathes a quiet energy. Modigliani uses that iconic elongated style in softer ways – a narrow portrait framing Alice’s face, her body subtly stretched into focus. Simple varied colors echo the complexity of the subject depicted. In this painting, Modigliani immortalizes Alice not as a decorative object, but as she deserved to be remembered – a human connecting with us across time and tragedy.
Periods: Modern art, Expressionism, School of Paris
Created: 1916–1919
Dimensions: 30.9 (78.5 cm) H in x 15.3 (39 cm) W
Housed: Danish National Gallery
Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian artist who lived in Paris for most of his adult life. He was part of the international artists' scene in Montparnasse, where he developed his iconic style. His work was influenced by African masks and medieval art, leading to the creation of simplified and elongated shapes in his portraits, as seen in the painting "Alice." Modigliani's contribution to the art world continues to be celebrated through his timeless and distinctive artworks.