Amedeo Modigliani

Dr Paul Alexandre, Paris (acquired from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Venice, Palazzo Grassi; London, The Royal Academy (& travelling to Cologne, Madrid, New York, Florence, Montreal & Rouen), The Unknown Modigliani, Drawings from the Collection of Paul Alexandre, 1993-96, no. 228, cat. 102, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Osvaldo Patani, Amedeo Modigliani, Catalogo Generale, Disegni 1906-1920, Milan, 1994, no. 814, illustrated p. 360

Not examined out of the frame. Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, probably attached at each of the four corners on the reverse to a sheet of card, floating in the mount. There are artist's pinholes to the top two corners. There is a small fold to the lower left corner, some flattened creases to the lower right corner, and a larger flattened crease running from the lower right edge towards the centre of the work. There is an area of creasing above the left side of the head, possibly caused by water damage. There is a small patch of glue residue to the lower right corner. Apart from 3 pinhead-sized stains to the lower left quadrant and some light surface dirt, this work is in overall good condition. Colours: The paper tone is warmer in the original.
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This very graceful drawing, depicting an elegant female head in a frontal view, merges two of the Modigliani's main preoccupations and influences: The exploration of sculptural structure which the artist pursued relentlessly from the beginning of the 1910s, particularly looking at classical sculpture and African and Khmer art, and the artist's highly personal and very distinctive manner of interpreting feminine beauty. 

The figure's elongated neck, facial structure and striking features exhibit perfect symmetrical proportion and balance. The subject's arresting gaze is enhanced by the large almond-shaped eyes depicted at a slight angle. The resulting image is one of understated and timeless elegance, and very amply displays Modigliani's great skills as a draughtsman.