Amedeo Modigliani

Venice, Palazzo Grassi; London, The Royal Academy of Arts (and travelling to Cologne, Madrid, New York, Florence, Montreal & Rouen) The Unknown Modigliani, Drawings from the Collection of Paul Alexandre, 1993-96, no. 140, illustrated in the catalogue

Osvaldo Patani, Amedeo Modigliani, Catalogo Generale, Disegni 1906-1920 con i disegni provenienti dalla collezione Paul Alexandre (1906-1914), Milan, 1994, no. 969, illustrated p. 400

The caryatid theme underpins the sculptural obsession of Modigliani’s early years in Paris. He became absorbed by these figures which supported the pediments of ancient Greek temples. It was Modigliani's dream to create a great series of stone caryatids but his poor health limited the scope of his production in this medium, and instead he turned to a two-dimensional exploration of this theme, executing a number of drawings and studies, and only a few rare paintings.

Modigliani's caryatids, with their highly stylised, geometric forms, pay tribute to tribal artefacts, and to the sculptures of Constantin Brancusi, who similarly sought to reduce the human form to minimal sculptural elements. The elegance of the present caryatid is accentuated by the simplicity and fluidity of the artist's techinique, evidenced by the bold line employed.