Nu couché (sur le côté gauche)”, Reclining Nude (on the left side), by Amedeo Modigliani, 1917. (Image: Sotheby’s)
A little over a hundred years after he painted it as a 32-year-old artist, Amedeo Modigliani’s ‘Reclining Nude’ is being offered by Sotheby’s for an estimated price of $150 million. Yes, that’s right. $150 million. If he were alive today, he would have probably recited Dante as was his wont.
A gifted sculptor and painter, Modigliani transformed the way nudes were painted and ‘Reclining Nude’ is considered the finest example of that. In the realm of nudes there is before and after Modigliani. His nudes, unlike the more distant classical ones, stand out for their directness and proximity. The one here directly meets the viewer’s gaze even while she retains her utter self-assurance. She seems to communicating directly to the individual viewer.
The face of the model has the characteristic Modigliani elongation and is as captivating an aspect of the painting as the rest of the body. That in a nude of this quality the viewer feels as engaged with the model’s eyes as the rest is a tribute to the great painter.
Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920)
If you have two hours to spare—even if in bits and pieces—I suggest you watch this movie about his life. Andy Garcia acquits himself powerfully as Modigliani.