Monsieur Deleu

1916

Amedeo Modigliani

Artist, Italian, 1884 - 1920

Amedeo Modigliani

Attributed to

Shown from the lap up, a person with peach-colored skin sits facing us as he looks down and to our left in this vertical, stylized, portrait painting. The person’s clothing and features are outlined with thin black lines, and areas are filled in with mottled, streaked color painted with visible strokes. The person has a round face with a double chin and a small red mouth. The eyes are painted as slate-blue slivers under thin brows, one of which is cocked. The man’s short black hair is parted to one side and combed across the top of his head. He wears a white cravat tied at his neck under a rust-red jacket or shirt. Two rounded, muted blue forms below suggest crossed knees. The man’s right elbow rests next to his body, and that hand is near his lap. The background is painted with pecan brown on the left third and gray-blue on the right two-thirds.

Media Options

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On View

East Building Ground Level, Gallery 103-A

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Chester Dale Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 81.1 x 46.7 cm (31 15/16 x 18 3/8 in.)
    framed: 90.8 x 55.5 cm (35 3/4 x 21 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1963.10.76

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Marcel Bernheim et Cie, Paris); purchased 1927 by (Etienne Bignou, Paris); sold 18 April 1928 to Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York; bequest 1963 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1931

  • Amedeo Modigliani: Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings, Demotte, Inc., New York, 1931, no. 4.

1943

  • Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1943-1951, unnumbered cat., repro., as Portrait of Kisling.

1954

  • Loan for display with permanent collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1954.

1965

  • The Chester Dale Bequest, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1965, unnumbered checklist.

1983

  • Modigliani: An Anniversary Exhibition, J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu; Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1983-1984, unnumbered brochure [exhibited in Washington only].

Bibliography

1929

  • Dale, Maud. Before Manet to Modigliani from the Chester Dale Collection. New York, 1929: no. 98, repro.

1943

  • Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. Philadelphia, 1943:, unpaginated, repro., as Portrait of Kisling.

1958

  • Ceroni, Ambrogio. Amedeo Modigliani: Peintre. Milan, 1958: no. 61, repro.

1965

  • Twentieth Century French Paintings & Sculpture of the French School in the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965 (rev. ed.): 53, repro.

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 91.

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 80, repro.

1970

  • Ceroni, Ambrogio, and Leone Piccioni. I dipinti di Modigliani. Milan, 1970: no. 152, repro.

  • Lanthemann, Joseph. Modigliani 1884-1920. Catalogue raisonné. Barcelona, 1970: 116, no. 138, repro.

1972

  • Ceroni, Ambrogio, and Françoise Cachin. Tout l'oeuvre peint de Modigliani. Translated by Simone Darses. Paris, 1972: no. 152, repro.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 236, repro.

1984

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 588, no. 905, color repro.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 273, repro.

1990

  • Parisot, Christian. Modigliani: Catalogue Raisonné. 2 vols. Livorno, 1990: 2:30/1916.

2011

  • Secrest, Meryle. Modigliani: A Life. New York, 2011: 5.

Wikidata ID

Q20191996

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