Abstract art will take you on a journey of your own thoughts and imagination. There is no right or wrong answer when interpreting the meaning of the art, but makes you explore your thoughts and assign your own meaning to the piece of work, which is the beautiful thing about it. This gallery is dedicated to the abstract works of the late 1800's and early 1900's, focusing on artists such as Pablo Picasso and Modigliani.
Paul Guillaume, Amedeo Modigliani, 1915, From the collection of: The Toledo Museum of Art
"Paul Guillaume" was created during a very influential time in Modigiliani's career due to the love affair between him and an English poet named Beatrice Hastings. This painting was done at Hastings home in 1915. This is one of the two oil portraits that show Cubist deformations, which is entitled to represent Guillaume.
Melancholy Woman, Pablo Picasso, 1902, From the collection of: Detroit Institute of Arts
"Melancholy Women" is a painting depicting a woman sitting in a prison located in Paris with her shoulders in a hunch and arms crossed with a blank stare in her eyes. This painting can be an expression of human misery. By restricting his colors to blue, Picasso emphasizes the feeling of sadness.
The Frugal Repast (Le repas frugal), Pablo Picasso, 1904, From the collection of: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
This particular etching was created early in Picasso's career at the age of 23 after returning to Paris from Spain. "The Frugal Repast" can expose Picasso's feelings for humanity, especially for the ones who struggled financially in society. Picasso strived to capture people who were lonely during this period.
Portrait of Léopold Zborowski, Amedeo Modigliani, 1916, From the collection of: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Leopold Zborowski was a polish poet who met Modigiani through dealing books and paintings in 1916. "Portrait of Leopold Zborowski" displays self-assurance by his folded arms. Modigliani was known for capturing the eyes without pupils which portrayed a spiritual man consumed by thought.
The Young Apprentice, Amedeo Modigliani, 1918 - 1919, From the collection of: Musée de l'Orangerie
"The Young Apprentice", created in 1918 is one of a series of portraits that dives into the relationships between the figure and its setting. The chair and table contribute to the figures pose by releasing tension to the body and head. As a previous sculptor, Modigliani handles the face and hands with restraint, portrayed by the blurred brush strokes.
Alice, Amedeo Modigliani, About 1918, From the collection of: SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst
"Alice" was created around 1918 creating a sense of calmness and harmony due to the geometric order. Because of his inspirations deriving from African masks and medieval art, Modigliani grew a liking for elongated shapes in a narrow, tall format. This became a basis that he derived future pieces from which later became more exaggerated.
Portrait of Jeanne Hébuterne, Amedeo Modigliani, 1919, From the collection of: Ohara Museum of Art
This "Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne", created in 1919, is one of many portraits Modigliani created of her. Compared to her features in actual pictures, you can see that Modigliani emphasized the shape of her figure by the elongated features of the neck and face. This particular portrait differs from his many others due to the more vibrant colors.
Buste de femme (Busto de mujer), Amedeo MODIGLIANI, 1917 - 1920, From the collection of: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Argentina
"Buste de femme" represents Modigliani's style by the emphasis on the long oval face, almond shaped eyes, and elongated curved neck. There is no leads to identify the woman or location to where this painting took place. The minimal lighting and solid background color reveals no clues as to where the setting is.
Portrait of a Polish Woman, Amedeo Modigliani, Italian, 1884 - 1920, 1919, From the collection of: Philadelphia Museum of Art
"Portrait of a Polish Woman" can be considered a pretty typical path to the way Modigliani portrayed his human figures. The figure in the portrait was an acquaintance of the Polish-born dealer Leopold Zborowski. The emphasized curve of the neck and lack of pupils in the eyes seem to be exaggerated compared to his earlier portraits.
Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz, Amedeo Modigliani (Italian, 1884–1920), 1916, From the collection of: The Art Institute of Chicago
"Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz" was created for the helping out of a troubled friend financially. Berthe and Lipchitz wanted this portrait because of the special occasion of a new marriage. This portrait is one of three double portraits that were completed in his career, which only took two days to complete after making around twenty drawings before hand. This portrait is unique in reference to his other styles because of the style of the Lipchitz features of the face. The neck is not emphasized as greatly on Berthe as seen is previous works.
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This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
