Image Study and Material Characterization of the Two-Sided Painting the Cellist and Portrait of Brancusi by Amedeo Modigliani

Abstract

The cellist and the portrait of Brancusi were painted by Amedeo Modigliani in 1909. This canvas, which is painted on both sides, also contains preliminary studies for two of the most representative works of the artist's early days in Paris. In 2016, the collector Juan Abelló, agreed to conduct a complete image study at different wavelengths (Infrared, Ultraviolet and X-ray) as well as pigment analysis using X-ray fluorescence. The data collected revealed the preparatory drawing made in pencil, another underlying painting, and the use of previously unrecognised pigments in Modigliani’s palette. This valuable information improves our understanding of the painter’s early technique, which has received little attention to date, and thus contributes with critical scientific criteria to detect falsifications.