Expressions of Jeanne
Inspired by Amedeo Modigliani
©kMadisonMooreMkM2012
Painting with The Masters
Art within Art Series
14 x 18 Oil Painting on Canvas
If you haven't seen the movie, "Modi", the life story of
Amedeo Modigliani, then see it. You won't regret it.
It was a wonderful movie about his life and the lives of
Picasso and several other artists during that time and the
way they competed in the salons with their art. It is a love
story about Modi and his love Jeanne Hebuterne.
Jeanne was born in Paris to a Roman Catholic family. Her father,
Achille Casimir Hébuterne, worked at Le Bon Marché department store.
A beautiful girl, she was introduced to the artistic community in
Montparnasse by her brother André Hébuterne who wanted to become a
painter She met several of the then-starving artists and modeled for
Tsuguharu Foujita. However, wanting to pursue a career in the arts,
and with a talent for drawing, she chose to study at the
Académie Colarossi. It was there in the spring of 1917
that Jeanne Hébuterne was introduced to Amedeo Modigliani
by the sculptor Chana Orloff (1888–1968) who came with many
other artists to take advantage of the Academy's live models.
Jeanne soon began an affair with the charismatic artist, and
the two fell deeply in love. She soon moved in with him,
despite strong objection from her deeply Catholic parents.
As gentle, shy, quiet, and delicate, Jeanne Hébuterne became a
principal subject for Modigliani's art. In the fall of 1918, the couple moved
to the warmer climate of Nice on the French Riviera where Modigliani's
agent hoped he might raise his profile by selling some of his works
to the wealthy art connoisseurs who wintered there. While they were
in Nice, their daughter was born on 29 November. The following spring,
they returned to Paris and Jeanne became pregnant again.
By this time, Modigliani was suffering from tuberculous meningitis
and his health, made worse by complications brought on by
substance abuse, was deteriorating badly.
The end will surprise you.......
I have done several paintings of Jeanne inspired by Modi
and I love every one of them. Jeanne has so many expressions
in the paintings he did of her. The one over the fireplace was painted
before he started painting her eyes. He used to leave the centers blank.
He told Jeanne that the day he painted her eyes is the day he will be
able to see her soul. I decided to paint them in for this composition.
I keep finding more and more paintings of Jeanne that Modi painted.
This one of her on the sofa was a new one that I recently found
and made me realize how different she looked in several of'
his paintings, hence the title, "Expressions of Jeanne."
Enjoy!
Contact me Here with your ideas for your own
original Painting with The Masters composition.
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