Artwork
Madame Kisling
Madame Kisling is an oil painting by Amedeo Modigliani. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
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About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting was acquired by Chester Dale in 1927 from the Leicester Galleries and bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in 1963.
The work is a 1917 oil on canvas portrait of Renée Kisling, the wife of painter Moïse Kisling. It shows her in a suit and cravat, with a bob haircut and her head tilted to the right, a visual scheme described in the French and Italian Wikipedia entries and the National Gallery of Art catalogue. The painting was acquired by Chester Dale in 1927 from the Leicester Galleries and bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in 1963.
Its depiction emphasizes the sitter's contemporary identity as a modern woman married to an avant‑garde artist, rendered through Modigliani's characteristic stylized realism.
Technique & Style
The portrait Madame Kisling (1917) is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 46.2 cm by 33.2 cm. Its composition presents a bust-length depiction of Renée Kisling, rendered with Modigliani's characteristic elongated, mask-like facial features and simplified, rhythmic contours. The sitter's head is tilted to the right, framed by a closely cropped, bowl-cut hairstyle, while her attire, a tailored suit with a tie, reflects the androgynous fashion of the period. The palette is restrained, dominated by muted earth tones punctuated by subtle contrasts in shadow and light, emphasizing the flat, planar treatment of form.
The handling aligns with Modigliani's mature style, where linear precision and reductive modeling converge to evoke both intimacy and detachment.
History & Provenance
Madame Kisling is an oil-on-canvas portrait by Amedeo Modigliani, dated to 1917, depicting Renée Kisling, the wife of the artist's contemporary Moïse Kisling. The work entered the documented market chain through Etienne Bignou in Paris, who likely sold it to the Leicester Galleries in London. On April 20, 1927, the Leicester Galleries sold the painting to Chester Dale of New York.
Following Dale's death, the artwork was bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1963, where it remains part of the permanent collection. The painting measures 46.2 by 33.2 cm and portrays the sitter in a suit and tie with a distinctive bowl haircut.
Overview
Amedeo Modigliani's oil on canvas, Madame Kisling, dates to approximately 1917. This painting depicts Renée Kisling, the wife of fellow artist Moïse Kisling, during Modigliani's time in Paris. The work exemplifies his distinctive modernist approach to portraiture, characterized by stylized forms and a focus on individual expression.
It reflects the artistic environment of Paris where Modigliani was an active participant in the École de Paris.
Context
Painted in Paris, Madame Kisling emerged from the vibrant artistic milieu where Amedeo Modigliani had resided since 1906. He was a notable figure within the diverse group of artists known as the École de Paris. Despite the distinctive and innovative nature of his portraits and nudes, Modigliani's modernist style, with its often surreal proportions, did not achieve widespread critical acclaim during his lifetime.
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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.
