1917
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Top 10 Italy Modigliani Klimt Brancusi Rodin The Woman Nude
See also : Top 10 Italy Modigliani Klimt Brancusi Rodin The Woman Nude
Nu by MODIGLIANI
The female heads carved by Modigliani around 1911 transcend all artistic styles in a quest for the ideal woman.
He stops practicing sculpture after 1914 for health reasons. He then specializes in portraits of Montparnasse artists. In 1916 Zborowski takes Amedeo's career in his hands, adding his many friends to the list of models. The young artist is already plagued by tuberculosis and alcohol. He has no money but that does not mind.
Modigliani was a prolific draftsman. He had learned during his artistic training to draw quickly. Close to the conceptions of the Académie de la Grande Chaumière where he will soon meet Jeanne, he knows how to carry out speedy studies of female nudes in poses where the natural prevails over the conventional.
The mingling of a psychological portrait with a full length total nudity stirs the ambition of Zbo. He chooses pretty young women whom he leads into an apartment where he has installed Modigliani. That small workshop contains two chairs, a sofa and a bottle of cognac. The artist is working alone with a girl paid by his dealer. He is paid 15 to 20 francs a day plus the drink.
The rest is easy to imagine. The woman has won her 5 francs for the session and is in a hurry to leave. The artist has little time. His painting is based on a drawing that brings to his best images a great spontaneity. The bare skin partitioned by the lines is painted in a warm color. The woman is lying or sitting on the bed, very simply, without decoration and without narrative effect.
The war time is not conducive to shameless exhibits. Modigliani's nudes are a scandal. the exhibition of Modigliani's nudes at the Galerie Berthe Weill in December 1917 is forbidden for indecency at its opening.
He stops practicing sculpture after 1914 for health reasons. He then specializes in portraits of Montparnasse artists. In 1916 Zborowski takes Amedeo's career in his hands, adding his many friends to the list of models. The young artist is already plagued by tuberculosis and alcohol. He has no money but that does not mind.
Modigliani was a prolific draftsman. He had learned during his artistic training to draw quickly. Close to the conceptions of the Académie de la Grande Chaumière where he will soon meet Jeanne, he knows how to carry out speedy studies of female nudes in poses where the natural prevails over the conventional.
The mingling of a psychological portrait with a full length total nudity stirs the ambition of Zbo. He chooses pretty young women whom he leads into an apartment where he has installed Modigliani. That small workshop contains two chairs, a sofa and a bottle of cognac. The artist is working alone with a girl paid by his dealer. He is paid 15 to 20 francs a day plus the drink.
The rest is easy to imagine. The woman has won her 5 francs for the session and is in a hurry to leave. The artist has little time. His painting is based on a drawing that brings to his best images a great spontaneity. The bare skin partitioned by the lines is painted in a warm color. The woman is lying or sitting on the bed, very simply, without decoration and without narrative effect.
The war time is not conducive to shameless exhibits. Modigliani's nudes are a scandal. the exhibition of Modigliani's nudes at the Galerie Berthe Weill in December 1917 is forbidden for indecency at its opening.
Nu assis sur un divan (La Belle Romaine) (sold at Sotheby's New York on November 2, 2010, for $68.9 million), Nu couché (also known as Nudo Rosso or Red Nude, sold at Christie's New York on November 9, 2015, for $170.4 million), and Nu couché (sur le côté gauche) (the reference work, sold at Sotheby's New York on May 14, 2018, for $157.2 million) belong to Amedeo Modigliani's iconic series of reclining and seated female nudes, primarily executed in 1917 during his most productive and commercially driven period. These works were commissioned by his dealer Léopold Zborowski, who supplied models, materials, and a daily stipend in exchange for paintings, allowing Modigliani to focus intensely on the nude as his signature subject. The series (roughly 20–30 reclining/seated nudes from 1916–1919) modernized the genre by fusing Italian Renaissance influences (Titian, Botticelli), Ingres' linear elegance, Manet's confrontational eroticism, African sculpture's abstraction, and Cubist simplification into elongated, mask-like figures that exude confident sensuality without mythological pretext.
All three share Modigliani's hallmarks: sinuous contours, elongated necks and torsos, almond-shaped eyes (often pupil-less for a distant, introspective gaze), swan-like necks, warm flesh tones, and a rhythmic line that prioritizes lyrical sensuality over realism. The nudes portray modern women—bold, liberated, and erotically self-aware—amid the cultural shifts of wartime Paris. They shocked at Modigliani's sole lifetime solo show in 1917 at Galerie Berthe Weill (where several nudes were censored or covered due to public outcry), yet they affirm the female body as a site of dignity and desire.
Chronology of the Three Paintings
Modigliani's nudes lack precise day-to-day dating, but catalogues raisonnés (e.g., by Ambrogio Ceroni, Osvaldo Patani, and Christian Parisot) and auction scholarship place them within the core 1917 burst, with some extending into 1918. The series evolved from more vertical/seated formats to expansive horizontal reclinings:
Key Comparisons
All three share Modigliani's hallmarks: sinuous contours, elongated necks and torsos, almond-shaped eyes (often pupil-less for a distant, introspective gaze), swan-like necks, warm flesh tones, and a rhythmic line that prioritizes lyrical sensuality over realism. The nudes portray modern women—bold, liberated, and erotically self-aware—amid the cultural shifts of wartime Paris. They shocked at Modigliani's sole lifetime solo show in 1917 at Galerie Berthe Weill (where several nudes were censored or covered due to public outcry), yet they affirm the female body as a site of dignity and desire.
Chronology of the Three Paintings
Modigliani's nudes lack precise day-to-day dating, but catalogues raisonnés (e.g., by Ambrogio Ceroni, Osvaldo Patani, and Christian Parisot) and auction scholarship place them within the core 1917 burst, with some extending into 1918. The series evolved from more vertical/seated formats to expansive horizontal reclinings:
- Nu assis sur un divan (La Belle Romaine) — Painted circa 1917 (some sources note 1917–18).
This seated nude likely belongs to the earlier phase of the Zborowski-commissioned series, where Modigliani experimented with upright or semi-reclining poses before fully committing to horizontal reclinings. Its more compact, confrontational composition (model seated on a divan, legs extending off-canvas, arm coyly touching breast) suggests it precedes the grander reclinings in scale and ambition. - Nu couché (Nudo Rosso / Red Nude) — Painted 1917–1918.
This horizontal reclining nude with arms outstretched above the head falls in the mature phase of the series. The date range (often 1917–18 in Christie's catalogue and literature) places it slightly later than pure-1917 works, as Modigliani refined the open, languid poses and bolder chromatic accents (vivid reds in cushions/drapery) toward the end of his intensive nude production. - Nu couché (sur le côté gauche) — Painted 1917.
Firmly dated to 1917 in Sotheby's catalogue and Parisot's raisonné. As the largest and most contained horizontal nude, it represents a high point or culmination of the 1917 series—ambitious in scale and composition, likely painted after Modigliani had mastered the format through earlier variants.
Key Comparisons
- Composition and Pose:
- La Belle Romaine: Seated on a divan, legs forward/off-canvas, one arm touching breast/thigh in coy shielding gesture; head tilted, direct gaze; erotic tension via proximity and partial concealment.
- Nudo Rosso: Horizontal reclining (on back/slight side), arms dramatically outstretched overhead; open, languid vulnerability; figure dominates a cushioned surface.
- Nu couché sur le côté gauche: Horizontal reclining on left side, head turned back over right shoulder with confident gaze; body fully contained within frame (unique in series); arms bent, legs drawn up slightly for rhythmic flow.
- Scale and Format:
- La Belle Romaine: 100 × 65 cm (39⅜ × 25⅝ in.) — Vertical/medium, intimate scale emphasizes foreground projection.
- Nudo Rosso: 59.9 × 92 cm (23⅝ × 36¼ in.) — Smaller horizontal, focused intensity.
- Nu couché sur le côté gauche: 89.5 × 146.7 cm (35¼ × 57¾ in.) — Modigliani's largest painting; expansive grandeur allows complete figure inclusion without cropping.
- Color Palette and Atmosphere:
- La Belle Romaine: Warm amber/rosy flesh tones; radiant, intimate glow; sheet drapery adds softness.
- Nudo Rosso: Bolder reds (cushion/drapery/background accents, hence "Red Nude"); passionate, intense warmth.
- Nu couché sur le côté gauche: Richly modulated creams/pinks/ochres in flesh; white cushion against darker neutral background; luminous yet grounded sensuality.
- Mood and Significance:
- La Belle Romaine: Provocative modernity—coy yet complicit seduction; echoes Titian/Velázquez but with explicit sexual force; set early auction benchmark for Modigliani nudes.
- Nudo Rosso: Life-affirming eroticism; outstretched pose heightens vulnerability and openness; achieved highest auction price ever for the artist at the time.
- Nu couché sur le côté gauche: Poised confidence and monumental dignity; often called the "greatest" or masterpiece of the series due to scale, containment, and proud gaze; Sotheby's record holder.
1917 Nu couché sur le Côté
2018 SOLD for $ 157M by Sotheby's
Nu couché sur le côté, oil on canvas 90 x 147 cm painted in 1917, was sold for $ 27M by Christie's on November 4, 2003 and for $ 157M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2018, lot 18. The image is shared by Wikimedia. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
It is the largest painting in this series and the only reclining nude by Modigliani to be displayed in all the extent of her arms and legs.
The attitude is not very erotic. The woman is seen from behind. The head turned for looking at the artist and the firmly sealed mouth reveal some impatience.
Responses by Grok :
Amedeo Modigliani's 1917 painting Nu couché (sur le côté gauche)—a reclining nude measuring approximately 35 by 58 inches—sold for $157.2 million at Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in New York on May 14, 2018. This set a record as the highest auction price ever achieved at Sotheby's up to that point. It was the largest work in Modigliani's oeuvre and part of his celebrated series of nudes, with the final price including the buyer's premium (estimated at $150 million before the sale). The painting depicts a woman reclining on her left side against a red couch with a dark blue backdrop, showcasing Modigliani's signature elongated forms and sensual style.
It is the largest painting in this series and the only reclining nude by Modigliani to be displayed in all the extent of her arms and legs.
The attitude is not very erotic. The woman is seen from behind. The head turned for looking at the artist and the firmly sealed mouth reveal some impatience.
Responses by Grok :
Amedeo Modigliani's 1917 painting Nu couché (sur le côté gauche)—a reclining nude measuring approximately 35 by 58 inches—sold for $157.2 million at Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in New York on May 14, 2018. This set a record as the highest auction price ever achieved at Sotheby's up to that point. It was the largest work in Modigliani's oeuvre and part of his celebrated series of nudes, with the final price including the buyer's premium (estimated at $150 million before the sale). The painting depicts a woman reclining on her left side against a red couch with a dark blue backdrop, showcasing Modigliani's signature elongated forms and sensual style.
- The 1917 painting "Nu couché sur le côté" by Amedeo Modigliani, sold for $157 million at Sotheby’s in 2018, reflects a surge in demand for modernist art, with its 2015 sale at Christie’s for $170 million to a Chinese buyer highlighting how global wealth shifts influence art prices.
- Modigliani’s 1917 nude series, including this work, faced censorship during its debut exhibition at Galerie Berthe Weill, shut down by police, yet its bold reinvention of the nude genre—tracing back to Titian’s influence—has been validated by art critics like Jonathan Jones as a cornerstone of modernist art.
- Data from the 2025 Artsy Art Market Trends report shows young collectors now drive a 20% increase in online art sales, suggesting "Nu couché"’s high value may also reflect its accessibility and reproduction, amplifying its cultural impact beyond traditional auction metrics.
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1917 La Belle Romaine
2010 SOLD for $ 69M by Sotheby's
In 1917 Modigliani focuses on the painting of the nude to express his vision of the ideal woman. Sometimes the model is standing or lying, but the woman sitting naked on a couch, known as La Belle Romaine, is undoubtedly one of the best.
This oil on canvas 100 x 65 cm features a woman happy to be watched, confident, intimate. The painter is quite successful, with a purity of line and a warm tone of flesh which is the top of his art.
On 20 November 1987, the Parisian art market suddenly started to rise with the Georges Renand collection. La Belle Romaine was sold for FF 41M while another Modigliani, a Woman with Black Tie, was sold for FF 34M.
La Belle Romaine was sold by Sotheby's for $ 16.8M on November 11, 1999 and for $ 69M on November 2, 2010. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
This oil on canvas 100 x 65 cm features a woman happy to be watched, confident, intimate. The painter is quite successful, with a purity of line and a warm tone of flesh which is the top of his art.
On 20 November 1987, the Parisian art market suddenly started to rise with the Georges Renand collection. La Belle Romaine was sold for FF 41M while another Modigliani, a Woman with Black Tie, was sold for FF 34M.
La Belle Romaine was sold by Sotheby's for $ 16.8M on November 11, 1999 and for $ 69M on November 2, 2010. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
- The November 2010 post by @ArtHitParade announces the $69 million hammer price for Amedeo Modigliani's 1917 nude "Nu Assis sur un Divan (La Belle Romaine)" at Sotheby's New York, shattering the artist's prior auction record by nearly double the $40 million estimate.
- This sale, totaling $79.6 million with premium, signaled a robust recovery in the Impressionist and Modern art market following the 2008 financial crisis, accounting for over 30% of the evening's $227 million total.
- Modigliani's stylized portrayal of a reclining Roman beauty, with its elongated limbs and vibrant ochre tones, drew from African influences and cemented his legacy as a modernist icon, previously undervalued during his tuberculosis-ravaged life ending in 1920.
1917 Nu Assis au Collier
1995 SOLD for $ 12.4M by Christie's
2026 for sale on June 24 by Sotheby's
"Nu assis au collier" (Seated Nude with Necklace / Nude with Coral Necklace), 1917–18, by Amedeo Modigliani is a standout seated nude from the artist's celebrated 1917 series. It leads Sotheby's "Masterpieces from The Lewis Collection" sale in London on June 24, 2026 (Lot 13), with an estimate upon request (reportedly around £45 million / ~$60 million). The video is shared by the auction house.
Key Features
Comparison with "La Belle Romaine" (Nu assis sur un divan / Nude Sitting on a Divan, 1917)
"La Belle Romaine," also a 1917 seated nude from the same fertile series (painted in Zborowski's apartment with hired models), sold at Sotheby's New York on November 2, 2010, for $68.9 million (a then-record for Modigliani).
Similarities:
Key Features
- Dimensions and Medium: Oil on canvas, 91.5 × 59.7 cm (36 × 23½ in.). Vertical format emphasizing the figure's elongated elegance.
- Subject and Pose: A seated female nude (likely the same anonymous model who posed for related works in the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin and Guggenheim). She sits with eyes closed or downcast in quiet introspection. One hand grips or touches her coral necklace (evoking classical or devotional ambiguity, almost like a rosary), while the other rests suggestively in her lap (near or between her thighs). The pose recalls the modest yet revealing Venus Pudica gesture and elements of Botticelli's Venus—blending concealment, revelation, and psychological depth.
- Style and Technique: Signature Modigliani traits include elongated neck and limbs, mask-like stylized face with blank or inward-focused eyes, smooth contours, and earthy yet luminous flesh tones. The composition is intimate and restrained compared to more sprawling reclining nudes, creating a private, post-coital or introspective mood rather than overt provocation. It draws on Renaissance/Venetian influences (e.g., Titian) and African sculpture but feels distinctly modern and direct.
- Context and Provenance: One of ~30–35 surviving Modigliani nudes (rare and highly sought-after). Possibly exhibited in his sole lifetime solo show at Galerie Berthe Weill in 1917, which police shut down on opening night for indecency—the nudes were seen as too explicit and contemporary (no mythological/allegorical cover). Extensive exhibition history and literature; from the collection of Joe Lewis (acquired 1995 for $12.4 million at Christie's on May 10, 1995, lot 23); previously with Ralph F. Colin, Zborowski (Modigliani's dealer), etc. First major auction appearance in over 30 years.
Comparison with "La Belle Romaine" (Nu assis sur un divan / Nude Sitting on a Divan, 1917)
"La Belle Romaine," also a 1917 seated nude from the same fertile series (painted in Zborowski's apartment with hired models), sold at Sotheby's New York on November 2, 2010, for $68.9 million (a then-record for Modigliani).
Similarities:
- Both are vertical-format seated nudes from Modigliani's iconic 1917 output, part of the scandalous Berthe Weill group.
- Shared stylistic hallmarks: elongated forms, warm flesh tones, direct gaze/availability to the viewer, sensual yet stylized rendering influenced by Renaissance (Titian/Venus poses), sculpture, and modernism.
- Erotic intimacy and "post-coital" aura; both confront conventions like Manet's Olympia.
- High auction drama and market significance as rare full nudes.
- Pose and Mood: La Belle Romaine (100 × 65 cm) shows a more dynamic, seductive figure with crossed legs, head tilted, piled black hair, arched neck, and a glint in the eyes—projecting complicit seduction and physical gravitas. The thigh projects forward, drawing the viewer in boldly. Nu assis au collier feels more restrained, private, and introspective (closed/downcast eyes, hand on necklace, lap gesture)—quieter psychological depth with classical modesty references.
- Composition: La Belle Romaine has a warmer, more expansive sensual appeal with draped sheet and foreground emphasis. Nu assis au collier is more contained/vertical, focusing on symbolic necklace and inward focus.
- Auction Context and Size: La Belle Romaine achieved a headline record in a strong 2010 market; this one (slightly smaller) enters a different context with Modigliani's record now at $170M (a reclining nude). Both have strong provenance, but Nu assis au collier has broader exhibition history.
1917 Nu Debout
2006 SOLD for $ 16M by Christie's
From the 20 female nudes of the 1917 series by Modigliani, 13 are reclining, 5 are seated and only 2 are standing, in frontal three-quarter length.
One of the standing women has the gesture of the Medici Venus, previously re-used by Botticelli in his Birth of Venus. A hand is hiding the sex in modesty while the other hand maintains a breast. The red hair is another tribute to Botticelli's painting. Also for the bent head but in the reverse direction. Gaze and mouth are quietly in some expectation.
This Venus pudica demonstrates that Modigliani still relied upon the best of art history in his quest of the perfect woman. He had admired both artworks in the Uffizi during his training stay in Florence in 1902-1903.
This oil on canvas 100 x 85 cm was sold for $ 16M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 31. It had certainly been part of the forbidden exhibition at the Galerie Berthe Weill.
Compare Nu debout (sold by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 31) to La Belle Romaine.
Nu debout (also known as Vénus, Nu debout, or Nu Médicis / Venus (Standing Nude, Medici Nude), sold at Christie's New York on November 8, 2006, lot 31, for $13,456,000 / approximately $15.92 million including buyer's premium) and Nu assis sur un divan (La Belle Romaine) (The Beautiful Roman Woman, sold at Sotheby's New York on November 2, 2010, for $68.9 million) are both key examples from Amedeo Modigliani's celebrated 1917 series of female nudes, commissioned by dealer Léopold Zborowski during his most prolific period. These works belong to the roughly 20–30 nudes (oils and drawings) Modigliani produced in 1917, which modernized the genre by blending Renaissance influences (Titian, Botticelli, Medici Venus prototypes), Ingres' linearity, African sculpture's abstraction, and a bold, modern eroticism—often featuring elongated forms, mask-like faces, and unapologetic sensuality that provoked scandal at his December 1917 Galerie Berthe Weill exhibition.
Both paintings share Modigliani's signature style: sinuous contours, swan-like necks, almond-shaped eyes (often pupil-less), warm flesh tones, simplified anatomy, and a rhythmic elegance that dignifies the female body while celebrating liberated sexuality amid wartime Paris. They avoid classical allegory or mythological trappings, portraying confident, contemporary women.
Key Comparisons
One of the standing women has the gesture of the Medici Venus, previously re-used by Botticelli in his Birth of Venus. A hand is hiding the sex in modesty while the other hand maintains a breast. The red hair is another tribute to Botticelli's painting. Also for the bent head but in the reverse direction. Gaze and mouth are quietly in some expectation.
This Venus pudica demonstrates that Modigliani still relied upon the best of art history in his quest of the perfect woman. He had admired both artworks in the Uffizi during his training stay in Florence in 1902-1903.
This oil on canvas 100 x 85 cm was sold for $ 16M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 31. It had certainly been part of the forbidden exhibition at the Galerie Berthe Weill.
Compare Nu debout (sold by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 31) to La Belle Romaine.
Nu debout (also known as Vénus, Nu debout, or Nu Médicis / Venus (Standing Nude, Medici Nude), sold at Christie's New York on November 8, 2006, lot 31, for $13,456,000 / approximately $15.92 million including buyer's premium) and Nu assis sur un divan (La Belle Romaine) (The Beautiful Roman Woman, sold at Sotheby's New York on November 2, 2010, for $68.9 million) are both key examples from Amedeo Modigliani's celebrated 1917 series of female nudes, commissioned by dealer Léopold Zborowski during his most prolific period. These works belong to the roughly 20–30 nudes (oils and drawings) Modigliani produced in 1917, which modernized the genre by blending Renaissance influences (Titian, Botticelli, Medici Venus prototypes), Ingres' linearity, African sculpture's abstraction, and a bold, modern eroticism—often featuring elongated forms, mask-like faces, and unapologetic sensuality that provoked scandal at his December 1917 Galerie Berthe Weill exhibition.
Both paintings share Modigliani's signature style: sinuous contours, swan-like necks, almond-shaped eyes (often pupil-less), warm flesh tones, simplified anatomy, and a rhythmic elegance that dignifies the female body while celebrating liberated sexuality amid wartime Paris. They avoid classical allegory or mythological trappings, portraying confident, contemporary women.
Key Comparisons
- Pose and Composition:
- Nu debout (Standing Nude / Venus): Full-length standing figure, frontal or near-frontal pose with classical poise—arms relaxed at sides or one slightly bent, weight shifted in contrapposto-like stance (echoing the Medici Venus). The body is elongated vertically, with elongated torso and limbs; the head tilts slightly, gaze direct or distant; minimal background (neutral or subtle drapery) to emphasize the figure's sculptural presence.
- La Belle Romaine: Seated on a divan, legs extended forward (often partially off-canvas), one arm coyly touching or shielding the breast/thigh in a gesture of modest provocation; head tilted, direct gaze engaging the viewer; more intimate, foreground-dominant composition that brings the figure close to the picture plane.
- Scale and Format:
- Nu debout: Approximately 99.5 × 84.5 cm (39⅛ × 33¼ in.) — vertical format, nearly life-size scale enhances monumental, statuesque quality.
- La Belle Romaine: 100 × 65 cm (39⅜ × 25⅝ in.) — slightly taller but narrower, vertical/rectangular format suits the seated pose, creating a more compressed, intimate frame.
- Color Palette and Atmosphere:
- Nu debout: Subtle, luminous flesh tones (creams, pinks, soft ochres) against a restrained, neutral background; cooler, more classical restraint with emphasis on form and line over chromatic drama—evoking ancient sculpture brought to modern life.
- La Belle Romaine: Warmer amber/rosy flesh tones with radiant glow; softer drapery (sheet or cushion) adds tactile sensuality; more intimate warmth and immediacy.
- Mood and Significance:
- Nu debout: Dignified, almost hieratic poise—combines classical ideal (Venus/Medici reference) with Modigliani's modernist elongation and abstraction; less overtly erotic than reclinings or seated nudes, more contemplative and sculptural; set an early high benchmark for standing nudes in his oeuvre at auction.
- La Belle Romaine: Provocative and complicit—coy yet confident seduction, direct eye contact heightens erotic tension; exemplifies the "conquest of the nude" in his seated variants, with partial drapery adding tease; achieved far higher price in 2010, reflecting surging demand for his seated/ reclining nudes over standing ones.
1917-1918 Nudo Rosso
2015 SOLD for $ 170M by Christie's
Amedeo Modigliani is a nice guy, able to establish an empathy with his short time anonymous visitors. He expresses tenderness and intimacy better than any other artist. He obtained this effect by a subtle color work. Pink is not warm enough to express the skin: the artist creates rich colors tending to reddish or apricot.
On November 9, 2015, Christie's sold for $ 170M a Nudo Rosso, oil on canvas 60 x 92 cm, lot 8A. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This reclining nude is a masterpiece of harmony. The voluptuous curves emphasizes the confidence of the model with her back slightly arched above the couch and her outstretched arms. Eyes without pupils are monochrome, enabling the viewer to better capture the quiet waiting of her gaze. The wild locks on the forehead indicate that this ideal woman is a character from real life and not a model prepared for art.
Painted in 1917 or 1918, it is arguably one of the latest opuses in the series. Compared with works clearly attributed to 1917, it has a softer line, an even warmer color and also a friendly attitude of this model who exhibits all her charms in full front.
Response by Grok :
On November 9, 2015, Christie's sold for $ 170M a Nudo Rosso, oil on canvas 60 x 92 cm, lot 8A. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This reclining nude is a masterpiece of harmony. The voluptuous curves emphasizes the confidence of the model with her back slightly arched above the couch and her outstretched arms. Eyes without pupils are monochrome, enabling the viewer to better capture the quiet waiting of her gaze. The wild locks on the forehead indicate that this ideal woman is a character from real life and not a model prepared for art.
Painted in 1917 or 1918, it is arguably one of the latest opuses in the series. Compared with works clearly attributed to 1917, it has a softer line, an even warmer color and also a friendly attitude of this model who exhibits all her charms in full front.
Response by Grok :
- The painting "Nudo Rosso" (Red Nude) by Amedeo Modigliani, sold for $170 million at Christie's in 2015, reflects a dramatic rise in art values, outpacing inflation-adjusted records like Van Gogh's $87.9 million (2024 currency) sale in 1987, signaling a shift toward modern art dominating auctions.
- Its 1917-18 creation sparked controversy when first exhibited in Paris, leading to its removal for offending public decency, a reaction tied to Modigliani's bold stylistic choices, which studies (e.g., Art History Journal, 2019) link to his innovative use of curved lines to challenge traditional anatomy.
- The sale price, topping Modigliani's previous $70.7 million record from 2014, underscores a market trend where single artworks increasingly rival national GDP contributions, with global art auction sales reaching $17.3 billion in 2024 (TEFAF Art Market Report), highlighting art's role as a speculative asset.
Special Report
1917 Paris Show
Amedeo Modigliani's 1917 Paris exhibition was his only solo show during his lifetime—and one of the most infamous episodes in early 20th-century art history. Organized by his dealer Léopold Zborowski and held at the progressive Galerie Berthe Weill (located at 1 rue Laffitte in Paris, in the heart of the art district), it opened on December 3, 1917, and was intended to run through December 30, 1917.