December 15, 2014 - 18:36
My favorite portrait I experienced at the Barnes was Jeune fille rousse en robe de soir by Modigliani. The photo features a woman with a tilted head, a sarcastic expression and pose. This painting is so satisfying to me. The woman is obviously very beautiful and obviously very annoyed that this portrait is happening in the first place. Her chair seems to fade into the shadowy purple and blue background, and her dress gets more textured towards the bottom of the portrait. This portrait seems to tell a story of a personality, which is something I wish more portraits did. I saw many portraits in the Barnes that were very realistic, but conveyed no sense of emotion or distinctiveness. This one takes the cake for me. The angles bring your eye all around the portrait and make you feel for the model who has probably been sitting for too long. This portrait seems true to life, with a real subject and a real mood. Thanks, Modigliani.
