Artwork
Nude on a Blue Cushion
Nude on a Blue Cushion 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
When the series was first shown in Paris, authorities closed the exhibition for obscenity, underscoring the work's provocative subject matter.
The painting shows a nude woman lying on her side on a blue cushion, her torso turned toward the viewer and her pubic region visible; art historians note that Modigliani rendered the mons pubis explicitly, emphasizing a direct, unidealized portrayal of the female body. The figure, a young woman with dark hair, rests against a dark red backdrop, a pose that is part of a group of nudes the artist created between 1916 and 1919 for the dealer Leopold Zborowski. When the series was first shown in Paris, authorities closed the exhibition for obscenity, underscoring the work's provocative subject matter.
The canvas entered the collection of Chester Dale in 1928 and has been held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since 1963.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1917, this work is an oil painting applied to a linen support. The composition features a nude female figure reclining on her side atop a blue cushion, set against a dark red background. The subject is depicted with black hair, resting her weight on her arm.
This piece belongs to a specific series of nudes produced between 1916 and 1919 under commission from dealer Leopold Zborowski. The handling of the subject matter was considered provocative enough that an exhibition of these works in Paris was closed by police on its opening day due to accusations of obscenity. The physical dimensions of the canvas are approximately 65.4 by 100.9 centimeters.
History & Provenance
Modigliani painted Nude on a Blue Cushion in 1917, executing it in oil on linen as part of a series of nudes created between 1916 and 1919 for the dealer Leopold Zborowski. The work entered the market directly from the artist to Paul Guillaume, who acquired it in 1917; Guillaume later sold it in April 1928 to Chester Dale, who bequeathed the painting to the National Gallery of Art in 1963. The canvas remained in Dale's collection until its donation, after which it entered the museum's permanent holdings. Its provenance is documented in contemporary records and museum files.
Nude on a Blue Cushion is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having entered the institution in 1963 as a bequest from Chester Dale. Dale had acquired the painting in April 1928 from the Parisian dealer Paul Guillaume, who originally purchased the work directly from Modigliani in 1917. The painting was part of a series of nudes exhibited in Paris that were famously closed by police on the opening day due to obscenity concerns.
Legacy
The painting is part of the group of nude portraits Modigliani produced between 1916 and 1919 for dealer Leopold Zborowski. Its first Paris exhibition was halted after a single day because authorities deemed the works obscene, an episode that cemented its controversial reputation. The work entered the National Gallery of Art collection through Chester Dale's bequest in 1963.
Its presence in a major U.S. museum has contributed to ongoing scholarly attention on Modigliani's exploration of the female form.
Overview
Amedeo Modigliani's Nude on a Blue Cushion, painted in 1917, is an oil on linen work depicting a reclining female figure. The composition presents a woman in a relaxed pose, positioned on a vibrant blue cushion against a muted background. This piece is part of a significant series of nudes created by the artist during a concentrated period and is currently housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
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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.
