Modigliani in the South of France

In early April 1918 painter, Amedeo Modigliani left Paris for the South of France, which produced a significant change in the technique and appearance of his paintings. This article brings together technical analyses of his three paintings including The little peasant, Young woman of the people and The Italian woman. Examination of several paintings from this period sheds light on Modigliani's drawing process: he composed the figure by first drawing an outline on the white ground with a carbon-based medium -- either pencil or charcoal -- and then rapidly painting colour within these lines. His drawing technique is evident in infra-red reflectography.