“The Young Apprentice,” painted by Amedeo Modigliani around 1918 in Paris, France, is an oil on canvas artwork representing the Expressionist movement. Measuring 100 by 65 centimeters, this portrait is housed in the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.
The artwork depicts a young boy in a state of repose, with his head resting on his right hand and his eyes half-closed, evoking a sense of fatigue or contemplation. The boy is garbed in a dark suit, with a lighter-colored shirt peeking through beneath his jacket, seated in front of what appears to be a wooden table or barrier. The background is rendered in muted tones, characteristic of Modigliani’s distinctive style that often combined elongated figures with somber, yet expressive, color palettes. The facial features of the apprentice are simplified and stylized, capturing an essence of both weariness and introspection, hallmarks of the artist’s celebrated portraiture.
