Amedeo Modigliani’s portrait of his wife, Jeanne Hébuterne, with White Collar was painted in 1919. This is a powerful time capsule that captures her bright gaze, a portrait of pregnancy, and the grey tones of fabric and skin. It is an intimate portrayal of love and tenderness during their brief period together before their tragic demise.
Jeanne Hébuterne committed suicide the day after Modigliani died in 1920 after a grueling battle with tubercular meningitis. She had been by his side until the very end and they were both eventually buried in the same grave. This painting serves as a reminder of their brief yet passionate relationship which many believe transcended death itself.
The Walk To Work (Le Depart Pour Le Travail) by Jean-Francois Millet is another beautiful painting that similarly captures the flavor of its era. Paintied in 1851, it showcases two peasant farmers leaving for the morning fields with several other villagers watching from the doorway—a small snapshot of life during that time. Both of these artworks demonstrate how an artist can capture nuances within an era and immortalize them through paintbrush strokes on canvas for posterity to appreciate.
