The Works by Amedeo Modigliani: 90. The Zouave (1918)

 

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Modigliani Institute Korea (MIK) is currently introducing artworks of Amedeo Modigliani.

The 90th work to introduce for this week is “The Zouave” in 1918.

This work is an expressionist style portrait and an oil painting on canvas with the size of 63 x 48 cm and possessed in private collection.

The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army that served from 1830 to 1962 in then-French-controlled North Africa. Originally, the zouaves were a regiment of Berber volunteers from the Zwawa group of tribes in Algeria, who had gained a reputation for fighting for local rulers under the Ottoman Empire, and the French word zouave is derived from the name of the Zwawa Berber. 

French zouave (c. 1870)

The regiment was to consist of Zwawa Berbers, French non-commissioned officers and French officers, and the distinctive uniform of the zouave unit originated in North Africa. Initially recruited only from the Berber tribes, the zouave corps was formed by the French over time, but the North African uniform was retained.

Zouaves at the Battle of Zaatcha during the Conquest of
Algeria

This work was painted by Modigliani in Nice in 1918, and it is evident that the model for this painting was a soldier of the zouave who was on vacation there at the time. He is wearing the mustard-colored uniform and calotte worn by African Army soldiers, and on the calotte there are the crescent moon and the figure three representing his regiment. The exact identity of the model, other than being a zouave soldier, is unknown, but the model offers Modigliani an opportunity for his colorist study.

Given that the model is wearing a thick uniform, this painting appears to have been painted in winter, and the model's soft face with no particular personality feels very different from the distinctly defined expressions of the models in Modigliani’s other portraits.

In addition, the military decoration on the chest of the model serves to soften the monotony of the mustard-colored uniform.

Besides Modigliani, Vincent van Gogh also painted soldiers in zouave uniform.

Portrait of Milliet, Second Lieutnant of the
Zouaves, Vincent van Gogh (1888)

Zouave, Vincent van Gogh (1888)

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The Works by Amedeo Modigliani: 89. Thora Klinckowstrom (1919)

 

 

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Modigliani Institute Korea (MIK) is currently introducing artworks of Amedeo Modigliani.

The 89th work to introduce for this week is “Thora Klinckowstrom” in 1919.

This work is an expressionist style portrait and an oil painting on canvas with the size of 99.7 x 64.8 cm and possessed in private collection. 

This portrait of Thora is among Modigliani's last paintings, along with that of her friend Annie Bjarne. Thora, a young woman from Sweden, came to Paris to study art, chaperoned by her brother Harald. 

Thora Klinckowstrom

Shortly after her arrival in Paris in October 1919, she met Modigliani at the Rotonde café, where her future husband, Nils Dardel, took her. 

Amedeo Modigliani and Adolphe Basler
at Rotonde cafe in Paris (c.1918)

Modigliani drew her there on squared paper provided by the café, and then added a quotation from D'Annunzio. Then, Modigliani suggested her to be his model and drew her on the back of a packet of Gitanes, on which he wrote his address, 8 Rue de la Grande Chaumiere. 

A sketch for the portrait of Thora
Klinckowstrom, Amedeo Modigliani

Despite the disorder of his studio and his negligent dress, Thora was impressed by Modigliani's good looks and beautiful, hot dark eyes. She was also impressed by his persistent cough due to his illness. 

Afterwards, Thora visited Modigliani’s studio for his model, where she accompanied her friend Annie Bjarne, whose portrait Modigliani also painted. 

Annie Bjarne, Amedeo Modigliani (1919)

Afterwards, she married Nils Dardel, and lived with him in Paris for 13 years in a studio-apartment on Rue Lepic. The portrait of Thora, who accidentally modeled for Modigliani, was soon forgotten and then reappeared on the art market in the 1970s.

Nils Dardel

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The Works by Amedeo Modigliani: 87. Little Girl in Black Apron (1918)

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Modigliani Institute Korea (MIK) is currently introducing artworks of Amedeo Modigliani.

The 87th work to introduce for this week is “Little Girl in Black Apron” in 1918.

This work is an expressionist style portrait and an oil painting on canvas with the size of 92.5 x 60.5 cm and housed in the Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Switzerland.

Kunstmuseum Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Modigliani's 1918 paintings appear a series of children, which is no coincidence. The reason for this is that during Modigliani's stay in southern France, there were neither portrait commissions nor the models such as Zborowski had paid in Paris. As a result, Modigliani was free to choose the subject for his paintings, whether as adults or children. 

Portrait of Leopold Zborowski, Amedeo
Modigliani (1917)

Examples of paintings for adults at the time include “Seated man with a cane” and “A beautiful grocer”. Modigliani, who spent his childhood amid families with many children in his hometown of Livorno, may have recalled his childhood, painting innocent children. 

Seated Man with a Cane, Amedeo Modigliani
(1918)

A Beautiful Grocer, Amedeo Modigliani
(1918)

In this painting, the pose of the little girl with big eyes looks a little stiff and awkward, but in another painting of the same little girl, “Two little girls,” she looks more comfortable. 

Two Little Girls, Amedeo Modigliani (1918)

The little girl's black outfit stands out with some embroidery at the bust, and her black apron and the chest of drawers serve to add horizontal lines to the paintings. Also, the black book on the drawers suggests that the little girl is a wise and studious child.

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The Works by Amedeo Modigliani: 86. Little Girl in Blue (1918)

 

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Modigliani Institute Korea (MIK) is currently introducing artworks of Amedeo Modigliani.

The 86th work to introduce for this week is “Little Girl in Blue” in 1918.

This work is an expressionist style portrait and an oil painting on canvas with the size of 116 x 73 cm.

This painting has a large size, although Modigliani generally used a large canvas only when drawing adult models: for example, the portraits of Leopold Zborowski (107 x 66 cm) and Mario Varvogli (116 x 73 cm)

Portrait of Leopold Zborowski, Amedeo
Modigliani (1917)

Portrait of Mario Varvogli, Amedeo
Modigliani (c.1919)

The collection of the Barnes Foundation such as “Redheaded Girl in Evening Dress (116.2 x 73 cm)” and “Young Woman in Blue (90.8 x 60 cm)” were also painted on a large size canvas.

Redheaded Girl in Evening Dress, Amedeo
Modigliani, The Barnes Foundation (1918)

Young Woman in Blue, Amedeo
Modigliani, The Barnes Foundation (1919)

The Collection, Barnes Foundation

This painting shows a young girl of 8-10 years old, standing in the corner of a room and is drawn almost life-size. The blue color of the girl's dress and walls goes well with the girl's eyes and the large wrinkled collar on her clothes. The composition based on the corner of the room combines with the girl's shadow and the dark tiles on the floor to give a sense of depth and stability, and the girl's boots and the dark color of her hair are in good harmony with the red ribbon on her head. 

This painting was created in Nice, Southern France, and seems to have been painted on a warm, sunny day in the bright shades of pastel blue and the girl's shadow on the floor and walls.

Amedeo Modigliani (right) in Nice (1918)

It is very rare for Modigliani to paint the floor in his paintings, and in this painting it seems that he painted the floor to emphasize the girl standing in the corner of the room. In this painting, the floor is tilted up and her feet are facing down, giving the feeling of the girl floating in the air.

The girl's expression has sweetness and innocence, but rather it gives a feeling of gloomy rather than joy. It also seems that she comes from a poor family in the girl's expression, and maybe the dress the girl is wearing is the only dress she has.

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