Modigliani’s Woman

Amadeo Modigliani, the renowned Italian artist, created four famous paintings of women with cara haircuts in 1917. These paintings are considered significant works of art and are associated with Modigliani’s productive period in Paris. During this time, he received numerous invitations to paint portraits of women from bohemian and avant-garde circles.

The first painting, titled “Young Brunette,” depicts Françoise Marini, a young singer at the famous night club “The Black Cat” (LE CHAT NOIR) in Paris. Françoise was financially supported by an Italian businessman who also tried to secure modeling jobs for her. This painting, completed in January 1917, is currently owned by a private collection in London.

The second painting, called “Adrienne-Woman with Bangs,” portrays Adrienne Fourney, a well-known actress who was part of the troupe at the “Grand Goniol Theater” in Pigalle Square. This small theater staged “Off-Broadway” plays, and the painting was commissioned by a friend of Adrienne in February 1917. Interestingly, the French police closed Modigliani’s only solo exhibition on the day this painting was first displayed. It now resides in the “National Gallery of Arts” in London.

The third painting features Renée, the wife of Moises Kiesling, a close friend of Modigliani. Renée was a bohemian and extroverted woman, and Modigliani created three sketches and two oil paintings of her. He described her with admiration, mentioning her cropped hair, big mouth, and sharp chin. This painting, measuring 63×51 cm, is currently on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

The fourth painting, completed in November 1917, is titled “A Seated Woman in a Blue Dress” and portrays Marian, the bohemian wife of Swedish businessman Olaf Svensson. Svensson, who frequently visited Paris to purchase avant-garde paintings, later donated his collection to the “Moderna Museet” in Stockholm, Sweden. This painting, measuring 70×50 cm, is part of the museum’s collection.

Modigliani’s life was marked by tragedy. In 1918, his partner Jeanne Avotern Velo gave birth to a daughter. A year later, while pregnant with their second child, Jeanne ended her life by jumping from her parents’ house window, just two days after Modigliani’s death. Modigliani, plagued by tuberculosis and complicated by alcoholism and drug addiction, passed away in 1920 at the age of 36. He was laid to rest in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.