Seated Nude

"Seated Nude" is a significant graphite drawing created by the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) in 1918. This late-career work is a quintessential example of Modigliani’s sustained focus on the female figure, a motif central to his final productive years. The delicate and meticulous structure of the work is evident in its medium: graphite applied to tan wove paper, which was subsequently laid down onto supporting sheets of tan and off-white wove paper. This complex layering of media underscores the value Modigliani placed on his independent studies and preliminary draftsmanship.

Created toward the end of the First World War, this drawing reflects the artist’s mature and synthesizing style. Modigliani renders the figure with his characteristic economy of line, demonstrating the elongated neck, smooth contours, and stylized, nearly mask-like facial features that became his signature. This aesthetic, drawing influence from African sculpture and early Renaissance art traditions of Italy, establishes a psychological distance between the sitter and the viewer, avoiding sentimentalism while retaining intense intimacy.

As a pivotal example of the Modern master’s skill, the Seated Nude is permanently housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The piece remains a vital resource for scholars examining the development of twentieth-century figurative art. Like many important drawings from this period, high-quality prints and reproductions of Modigliani’s expressive works often enter the realm of public domain availability, allowing wide access to the concise, powerful line work of this influential Italian artist.