Lessons learnt from studying the masters offer insight
into their philosophies, techniques, and experiences in creating art.

                          by Sanchia Lin

A Distinctive Voice in Early 19th Century Paris 

Modigiliani was born in 1884 to a Jewish family in the Italian town of Livorna.  He was an ambitious and creative artist who was caught between his desire to create new art and the strength of Italian academic heritage.  He ultimately resolved the conflict by creating a body of work traditional in subject matter, but avant-garde in style.

Modigiliani took traditional subjects in the history of art, particularly in the portrait and the nude, and modernized them.  Like the other avant-garde artists, he avoided naturalistic depictions in favor of more imaginative and creative works.  He was influenced by a wide range of art including African masks, Cambodian and Egyptian art, medieval sculpture, the sculpture of Michelangelo, Symbolism, and Cubism.  

Modigiliani developed his own individual restrained style of paintings and became a distinctive voice in early 19th century Paris.  Among them, more recognizably are the Modigliani-esque portraits.  However, there is generally only the faintest trace of the actual subjects in there stylized faces, whose blank, staring eyes and schematic mouths and nose trace their lineage from his sculpture output.

The above figurative painting was done by Sanchia Lin with a palette knife.

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