Around 1916 -1919 · Childhood, modern portrait and Montparnasse

In his portraits of girls, Modigliani unites the elongated vocabulary of his maturity with very concrete signs - apron, blouse, braids or posture - which preserve the identity of each young model.

Amedeo Modigliani painted several children and adolescents during the last years of his life, notably during his stay in the south of France between 1918 and 1919. These portraits take up the shapes associated with his work: oval face, stretched neck, rectilinear nose, continuous contours and eyes sometimes left without pupils. However, the stylization does not erase the person. A sailor's blouse, a black apron, braids, a polka dot bodice or red hair place each model in a distinct age, environment and presence. The hands often remain placed, the front body and the braids reduced to a few colored planes. This economy directs attention towards attitude rather than towards the anecdote. Some young girls are identified by a first name, others only by their clothing or their hair color, recalling the documentary limits of the history of portraiture. The influence of sculpture, African arts and the Italian Renaissance remains visible, but here it serves a calm gravity, far removed from the sentimental childish portrait. The selection "Girls painted by Modigliani" notably compares Young Girl in a Polka Dot Bodice and Young Redhead Girl in an Evening Dress. His reading favors the story.

At Modigliani, childhood is not a touching setting: clothing, posture and gaze give each girl a silent and complete presence.