Head of a Woman

Currently not on view

Head of a Woman

1912

Amedeo Modigliani (Italian, 1884–1920)

Though widely recognized for his painted portraits of women with elongated features, Modigliani equally considered himself to be a sculptor of the first rank. He created around two dozen stone sculptures between 1909 and 1915, utilizing the direct carving techniques he had learned in Paris from the Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi. This bust of a woman's head displays a stylized, modern interpretation of non-Western art--especially Cycladic and Egyptian statuary--also referenced in the artist's oil compositions. Modigliani found sculpture to be a prohibitively expensive and physically demanding process, which explains why he did not produce more three-dimensional works in his short lifetime.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Head of a Woman

Date:

1912

Artist:

Amedeo Modigliani (Italian, 1884–1920)

Medium:

Limestone

Dimensions:

27 3/4 × 6 1/2 × 9 1/4 inches (70.5 × 16.5 × 23.5 cm)

Classification:

Sculpture

Credit Line:

Gift of Mrs. Maurice J. Speiser in memory of her husband, 1950

Accession Number:

1950-2-1

Geography:

Made in France, Europe

Provenance

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Currently not on view