Karyiatid Female Nude Statue Inspired by Modigliani

Modigliani Abstract Female Nude Kneeling Statue (larger version of FTAMo12) is immediately recognizable by Modigliani aficionados because of the typically elongated shapes he uses to portray his figures. His paintings show his passion for sculpting, his talents were instantly recognized by the East European avant-garde school.   Modgiliani's sculptures were heavily inspired by traditional African and Oceanic cultures. 

A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese.

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (1884-1920) was an Italian Jewish painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France (educated in Florence and Venice), and established himself in the famous Montmartre area of Paris where his talent was immediately recognized by the East European avant-garde.  He is well known for his portraits and nudes characterized by the elongation of faces and figures.  He had to give up sculpting in 1915 due to ill health and was forced to devote his attentions once again to painting and was inspired by Chaim Soutine, his new neighbor. He was particularly impressed by the technique and definitive lines of the Lithuanian Impressionist.  He had a short and eventful life, 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 36, Modigliani died and left an art work that shows a sincere, obsessive search for truth and purity within art.