Still-life with Modigliani sculpture

John, Augustus (1878-1961)


Item type:
painting
Date of creation:
ca. 1920
Height:
147.3 cm  (58 in.)
Width:
123.0 cm  (48 7/16 in.)
Technique / Medium:
oil on canvas

Description

Description and commentary from Harvard Museums' website: A medium-sized, elaborate still-life arrangement including a Modigliani sculpture covered by a shawl, a guitar, a large book, and flowers in a pot resting on a tapestry-covered base. Augustus John was a major personality, if not the most talented painter, of early 20th-century British modernism. This work presents a rather complete and perhaps unintentionally comic record of the reception of Continental modernist trends in England, not just with the inclusion of the Modigliani sculpture but also the Matisse-like tablecloth and the nods to Manet's early Spanish-inspired paintings (the guitar and shawl). In addition, the book is reputed to represent Les Chants de Maldoror, a favorite of the artist and the virtual bible of Surrealism.

Iconclass

41E
still life of miscellaneous objects

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Guitar [3237]

RIdIM images


Image URLs

image link 1

RIdIM record id

5642