Artwork
Jeanne Hébuterne
Jeanne Hébuterne is an oil painting by Amedeo Modigliani. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents Hébuterne in a seated position, characterized by the specific gesture of resting a finger against her cheek.
Painted in 1919, this work depicts Jeanne Hébuterne, the life partner and frequent muse of Amedeo Modigliani during his final years. The composition presents Hébuterne in a seated position, characterized by the specific gesture of resting a finger against her cheek. As one of numerous portraits the artist created of her, the painting functions as an intimate representation of their personal relationship rather than an allegorical statement.
The subject is identified explicitly as a woman, with the work serving as a direct likeness of Modigliani's companion who inspired a significant portion of his late oeuvre.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Jeanne Hébuterne by Amedeo Modigliani is executed in oil paint on canvas, a medium consistent with the artist's standard portrait practice. The canvas measures 91.4 cm in height by 73 cm in width, giving the composition a vertical orientation suited to a seated figure. The subject is depicted seated, with one finger raised against her cheek, rendered in the elongated facial proportions and simplified linear handling characteristic of Modigliani's portrait style.
The work belongs to the genre of portraiture and is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.
A separate oil-on-canvas work also dated 1919 and titled Ritratto di Jeanne Hébuterne, measuring 55 by 38 cm, is recorded as part of a private collection rather than the Metropolitan Museum of Art holding.
History & Provenance
Amedeo Modigliani executed this oil on canvas portrait of Jeanne Hébuterne in 1919. The work depicts the subject seated with a finger resting against her cheek. At one point, the painting was in the possession of Galerie Bing & Cie.
It subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York following a donation made in 1956, where it remains housed.
The painting Jeanne Hébuterne, executed by Amedeo Modigliani in 1919, entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York following a donation in 1956. It is catalogued in the museum's inventory as part of the acquisition but the specific accession number is not recorded in the available documentation. The work was previously owned by Galerie Bing & Cie before its transfer to the museum.
As a key example of Modigliani's portraiture, it has been included in exhibitions of the museum's post‑war European painting galleries, though no individual exhibition catalogue is cited.
Context
The 1919 oil portrait of Jeanne Hébuterne, painted shortly before Modigliani’s death, exemplifies his late portraiture and his focus on intimate, elongated figures. It was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art after a 1956 donation, joining the museum’s collection of modernist works. Scholarship emphasizes its role as a visual record of the artist’s relationship with his muse and as part of a series of portraits that document his final years.
The work’s composition, with the sitter seated and a finger touching her cheek, reflects Modigliani’s stylistic traits while also serving as a poignant depiction of his partner.
Overview
Amedeo Modigliani's 1919 oil painting, Jeanne Hébuterne, presents a portrait of his partner. This work exemplifies the artist's distinctive approach to figure painting, characterized by an elongated and stylized form. It is a key example of Modigliani's contribution to modern portraiture and is held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (US: ; Italian: ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the École de Paris who worked mainly in France.
