Caryatid

The drawing Caryatid by Amedeo Modigliani, completed in 1914, is a critical work that showcases the Italian artist’s deep engagement with classical and primitive sculptural traditions. Executed using gouache and ink on paper, this piece demonstrates Modigliani’s shift toward radical abstraction and formal simplification during his formative years in Paris. The subject matter—a draped female figure used architecturally as a supporting column—occupied Modigliani extensively between 1911 and 1915, serving as a primary motif for exploring the human form's potential for monumentality and structural stability.

In this work, Modigliani applies his distinctive style, reducing the figure’s anatomy to essential, elongated geometric shapes. The figure’s face is rendered with characteristic simplicity: minimal, almond-shaped eyes and a long, cylindrical neck that emphasizes verticality. The application of gouache provides an earthy, muted palette, enhancing the figure’s archaic, stone-like presence, while the ink defines the powerful contour lines. This technique underscores Modigliani’s investigation into the volume and weight of the subject, reflecting his abandoned yet profound commitment to sculpture during this highly productive period in 1914.

Modigliani’s numerous studies of the caryatid, including drawings and related oil paintings such as Red Caryatid, served as foundational blueprints for the expressive figuration that would define his later career. As a seminal drawing from this important artistic phase, the piece illustrates the intellectual rigor behind Modigliani’s unique aesthetic synthesis of Neoclassicism and non-Western art forms. This significant work is maintained in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. As a testament to the master draftsman’s genius, high-quality prints and reproductions of the work are widely accessible, ensuring its place in the study of early modern art.