Woman in Profile

Woman in Profile is an early and foundational work by Amedeo Modigliani, executed in 1909. Classified as a drawing, this intimate study utilizes watercolor and graphite on paper, a combination of mediums that allowed the artist to explore line, volume, and color in preparation for larger-scale paintings.

Created shortly after Modigliani settled in Paris and immersed himself in the intellectual ferment of the avant-garde, this piece reflects the transitional nature of his style. The subject, a woman captured in a strong, unyielding profile, is rendered with a deliberate simplification of form. Although lacking the extreme elongation that would characterize Modigliani’s iconic portraits of the 1910s, the drawing already emphasizes geometric clarity, hinting at the future influences of African and Cycladic sculpture, alongside the post-Impressionist structure popularized by Paul Cézanne.

Modigliani uses the graphite pencil to create decisive, dark outlines that define the features and silhouette of the figure, while the watercolor provides subtle modeling and warmth, grounding the composition. This graphic economy reveals the artist’s growing preoccupation with pure form and expressive line work.

This significant study remains an important marker in Modigliani’s oeuvre, illustrating his movement toward modernism before his brief but productive sculptural phase. The work is held within the esteemed permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a seminal example of his early graphic approach to depicting women in profile, the image is often referenced in art historical texts, and high-quality prints of this drawing are commonly available through public domain archives.