A Comparison Between The Works Of Amedeo Modigliani And Jacques Villon :: essays research papers

Italian-born Cubist painter, AmedeoModigliani (1884-1920) and the French, Jacques Villon (1875-1963), bothpainted vibrant and expressive portraits during the early twentieth-century.In this case, the chosen portraits are Modiglianis Portrait of Mrs. Hastings,1915 and Villons Mme. Fulgence, 1936.Both of these compositions are portraits. nix is of more brilliance than the brood hen herself. The female sitterin Modiglianis piece, sits in an al near dizzying pose with a twist inher elongated tell apart (a Modigliani trademark), a stylized and mask-like headand a columnar neck. All of which accomplish the sitter a blank andashen expression. She looks at the witness, head-on with a most piercingair in her eyes. In Villons case, his female sitter has been attaindsolely with the use of laye rosy deforms and a very haphazard synthetist outlinetechnique (a similar technique the post-impressionist painter Gaugin used).Modigliani outlines his figure moreso in black than Villon.Mme. Fulge nces age is understood by the strong dynamic colour qualitythat has been used to break her face apart. In a way, these colourfuldivisions act as wrinkles. For instance, the chunk of layered pinkon her oral fissure creates a scowl and the heavily applied white on her beak helpsit to seem upright a snobbish upturn. Colours such as the orange, fork over been used to highlight her left cheek and only visible ear.With these effects, the knockout sees Mme. Fulgence as a very proper andposh (if you will) woman. Bitterness is only a common linkage withthe other attributes. Modiglianis Hastings on the other progress seemsto be an intense woman of a compassionate nature. Both of these pieceshave relied heavily on the expressive and wild use of colour to createemotional expressions and unerring form.Both of these portraits are createdusing oil paints--Modiglianis on cardboard and Villons on canvas.The most important element that draws their work past from the mainstreamis their heavy app lication of paint. Although they both apply theircolour liberally, Modiglianis strokes are thick, jagged, and for the mostpart random. His brushstrokes are also particularly long, whereasVillons are short and brief. Modigliani uses monochromic huesof red to create the prominent colour of the piece and like Villon, hehas used a very vague background to express the importance of his sitter.Colour is of equal importance in both pieces as it draws the viewer inand allows the viewers eyes to be brought around the piece. Modiglianihas split his background from natural covering to bottom, using red and strokes of burntsienna at first, then an auburn and deeper red for the bottom.