After the War

Around the time the war was ending, Modigliani returned from the South of France and was a more experienced and successful painter. Usually painting the people from his circle, he had better access to tools to perfect his craft. Among those he painted was his companion, Jeanne Hébuterne (see Figure 3). He used a lightweight, plain-weave canvas with a size wider than his previous canvases, which gave him more freedom to paint Hébuterne. This fluidity and freedom of expression is indicated by infrared reflectography (IRR) revealing the brushwork and the underdrawing as he captures the pose.

Modigliani Up Close is truly a spectacular glimpse into the behind-the-canvas processes of one of the most celebrated figures of modern art in the 20th century. Exciting applications of imaging technologies and conservation are used by the group of scholars to present his body of work chronologically and with scientific evidence.