Abstract Lady Statue

n 1912, the art of sculpture seemed to have taken a heavy toll. Modigliani was completely exhausted by the heavy and dusty work. He was forced to devote his attentions once again to painting and was inspired by Chaïm Soutine, his new neighbour. He was particularly impressed by the technique and definitive lines of this Lithuanian Impressionist. Modigliani chose the caryatid as the subject of his art on a number of occasions. Originally the Caryatid (Kariatide, 1913) was a pilaster in the form of a sculptured female figure, illustrating how sculpture continued to play a role in his paintings. Amedeo Modigliani's work is recognized immediately by many people because of the typical elongated shapes. His paintings show his passion for sculpting, a craft which he had to give up in 1915 due to ill health. He was born in the Tuscan town of Livorno and received his academic education in Florence and Venice. In 1906 he established himself in the famous Montmartre area in Paris, where his talent was instantly recognized by the East European avant-garde. He had a short and eventful artistic life (1884-1920), he was extremely driven and longed for recognition. But his life was also marked by alcoholism, metaphysical fears and progressive tuberculosis. At the age of forty, Modigliani left the world an oeuvre that shows a sincere, obsessive search for truth and purity within art.