Seated Nude

Seated Nude by Amedeo Modigliani is a significant drawing executed in pencil on paper around 1918. This classification as a drawing showcases Modigliani’s characteristic command of line, which defined his late career. While he is often celebrated for his oil paintings, preparatory and independent drawings like this piece reveal the economy and precision of his draftsmanship. Created near the end of the artist’s life, this work exemplifies the sophisticated, elongated forms and highly stylized representation of the human figure that became synonymous with the Italian master’s aesthetic.

The subject of the drawing is a female nude, rendered in a contemplative, seated pose. Modigliani treats the figure with monumental simplicity, outlining the curves of the body and defining the facial features with minimal yet deliberate marks. Characteristic of Modigliani’s approach, the figure possesses an air of remote dignity, a stylistic influence filtered through his distinct early 20th-century Parisian lens. Though known for his ties to the School of Paris, his profound admiration for Renaissance and Mannerist forms highlights his ongoing connection to Italian artistic traditions. His technique, focused entirely on the pencil medium, allows for an intense focus on contour and volume, creating a powerful, sculptural effect despite the fragility of the paper support.

Dating to the period (c. 1918), the drawing captures Modigliani at the height of his stylistic maturity, shortly before his premature death. Though many of his works are now recognized globally, this specific piece reinforces his reputation as a primary figure in modern figurative art. It currently resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its continued availability for scholarship and public viewing. Given the high demand for the artist's works, high-quality reference photographs and archival documentation have made the imagery available for subsequent reproductions and study, ensuring that prints and digital representations of Modigliani's important output often circulate widely.