Portrait of the Artist Leopold Survage by Amedeo Modigliani

A captivating dialogue is established between the viewer and the masculine figure that Modigliani Amedeo immortalizes in this its singular work. Produced with great economy of means, this portrait reflects the bohemian and intellectual atmosphere that then reigned in Paris. This striking creation, titled for eternity “Portrait of the Artist Leopold Survage”, illustrates the major stylistic evolution of the artist in contact with the avant-garde. Expressionism finds there one of its most refined and personal expressions.

The man is presented from the front in a close-up, sporting dark, wavy hair neatly combed to the side. His elongated face features a thin, straight nose, a thin reddish mustache, and a complexion enhanced with touches of pink. His light, almond-shaped eyes, slightly asymmetrical, offer a soft but mysterious gaze, one appearing more detailed than the other. He is dressed in a fitted black suit jacket over an immaculate white shirt and a very narrow dark tie. A gray and brown scarf or coat section is draped elegantly over his left shoulder. The background is painted in earthy and grayish tones with visible brushstrokes.

The technical mastery of oil is manifested in the textured application of the pictorial material which brings the neutral background to life. Thanks to an innate sense of the contour line and a palette of sober and warm colors, the artist asserts his craft genius. This portrait testifies to an extraordinary sensitivity.