The thick application of paint in short, choppy strokes in this work betrays Amedeo Modigliani’s early association with the art of the Macchiaioli, a group of Italian artists who, like the French Impressionists, painted in colorful patches. The portrait is of the English writer, poet, and literary critic Beatrice Hastings, Modigliani’s partner between 1914 and 1916. The stylization of her features—elongated nose, almond shaped eyes, long neck, and sensual orange-red coloring—is characteristic of Modigliani’s distinctive style. Hastings and Modigliani met in Paris through friends. Modigliani painted Hastings fourteen times during their two-year relationship.
