Modigliani, Amedeo (1884-1920)
La Jeune bonne (The Servant Girl)
c.1918
Oil on canvas, 152.4 x 60.96 cm
Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo
Between 1915 and 1920, Amedeo Modigliani executed many portraits in a style characterized by sparse settings and figures rendered with elongated bodies, oval heads, and seemingly blank eyes. The subject of this painting is said to be Marie Feret, a country girl from the south of France, and everything about the composition underscores a servant’s role—from her clothing to diminutive stance. However, there is a certain dignity to the figure, which Modigliani achieved through the use of color and line to unify the composition. (AKG)