Artwork
Madame Amédée (Woman with Cigarette)
Madame Amédée (Woman with Cigarette) is an oil painting by Amedeo Modigliani. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1918, this oil on canvas depicts a seated woman rendered in Modigliani’s distinctive elongated style.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1918, this oil on canvas depicts a seated woman rendered in Modigliani’s distinctive elongated style. The portrait presents a pale complexion, rosy cheeks, and a subtle smile, while the subject’s dark hair is pulled back and a ring adorns her left hand. The work resides in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, identified as Madame Amédée, is portrayed with a cigarette, a motif that hints at contemporary attitudes toward femininity and modernity. Her black dress and gold earrings, together with the relaxed pose of a bent left arm, convey a sense of poised confidence, reflecting the artist’s interest in the psychological presence of his models.
Technique & Style
Modigliani employs his hallmark elongation of facial features and simplified forms, emphasizing line over realistic detail. The composition balances muted tonal values with subtle color accents, such as the rosy cheeks and the gleam of the earrings, illustrating his departure from naturalistic representation toward expressive distortion.
History & Provenance
An Italian expatriate who settled in Paris in 1906, Modigliani was part of the vibrant École de Paris circle that included Picasso and Brâncuși. Though his portraiture was not widely acclaimed during his lifetime, the painting entered the National Gallery of Art’s collection after his posthumous rise in reputation.
Context
The work emerges from Modigliani’s later period, when his portraiture increasingly focused on stylized elegance rather than literal likeness. This approach aligns with broader avant‑garde trends of the early twentieth century, where artists explored abstraction and the emotional resonance of the human figure.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (US: ; Italian: ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the École de Paris who worked mainly in France.
