Caryatid

Currently not on view

Caryatid

c. 1912-1914

Amedeo Modigliani (Italian, 1884–1920)

This drawing, a preparatory sketch for a sculpture, is one of a series of caryatids Modigliani created between 1912 and 1914. Unlike their classical precursors, which were always draped in long robes, Modigliani's caryatids are nude. The artist referred to them as "columns of tenderness" and planned to incorporate them into an imaginary "temple of beauty." Only one of the sculptures, now in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, was ever completed.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Caryatid

Date:

c. 1912-1914

Artist:

Amedeo Modigliani (Italian, 1884–1920)

Medium:

Blue crayon over graphite on Japanese paper

Dimensions:

Sheet: 25 3/8 × 19 9/16 inches (64.5 × 49.7 cm)

Classification:

Drawings

Credit Line:

The Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, 1950

Accession Number:

1950-134-150

Geography:

Made in France, Europe

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Currently not on view