INTRODUCTION
Jean Hebuterne with large hat
Amedeo Modigliani, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons
Amedeo Modigliani’s late portraits of Jeanne Hébuterne stand among the most recognizable images in twentieth-century art.
Painted in 1918—near the close of his short life—“Jeanne Hébuterne with Large Hat” distills everything collectors and museum-goers love about Modigliani: the swan-long neck, the mask-like almond eyes, the attenuated silhouette, and the restrained, burnished palette that tips toward warm terracottas and rose-browns.
The subject, Jeanne Hébuterne—an artist in her own right and Modigliani’s partner and muse from 1917 until his death in 1920—appears calm, monumental, and timeless. The painting is also a bellwether for Modigliani’s market: comparable portraits of Jeanne have led major evening sales for more than a decade.
What makes “Jeanne Hébuterne with Large Hat” special?
The iconic Modigliani look—refined to essentials
Modigliani’s portraits famously elongate anatomy to achieve a poised, lyrical elegance. In this work, the tapered face and exaggerated neck form a sinuous vertical that anchors the composition. The eyes are simplified and unmodeled, an approach Modigliani often used not to deny psychology but to universalize it—turning the sitter into an archetype of introspection. These traits recur throughout his final years and are prominent in multiple portraits of Jeanne from 1918–1919, a period now well studied for its materials and working methods.
The “large hat” as sculptural architecture
The broad brim arcs across the upper third of the canvas like a drawn ellipse, framing the face and exaggerating the neck’s vertical thrust. That one accessory gives the picture a built-in stage set: an emphatic horizontal to counterbalance the figure’s slender column. The hat’s ochers, set against a red-brown background, create a warm color field that offsets Jeanne’s black jacket and hat crown.
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| Jean Hebuterne with large hat Amedeo Modigliani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Late-style confidence from the Côte d’Azur years
In spring 1918, Modigliani and Jeanne left Paris for Nice and the south of France, where they spent roughly a year.
Technical studies of six Jeanne portraits from 1918–19 show consistent choices in grounds, paint handling, and compositional planning, suggesting a mature, highly efficient studio practice during these months.
Researchers found thin, economical paint layers and limited revisions—evidence that Modigliani approached late portraits with swift, assured execution, likely from live sittings with minimal corrections.
A closer look: materials, technique, and dating
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Materials and technique: Lightly tinted grounds, lean oil applications, and straightforward layering with little glazing. Under-drawings and compositional changes are sparse, showing that Modigliani achieved his forms largely in paint.
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Size, signature, and cataloging: The canvas is about 55 × 38 cm, oil on canvas, signed at the upper right. While some earlier references listed 1917, consensus places it in 1918, aligning with other Jeanne portraits of that year.
Jeanne Hébuterne: subject, muse, and narrative power
Jeanne Hébuterne (1898–1920) met Modigliani in 1917 and quickly became his principal model, appearing in more than twenty paintings. Her presence shaped the emotional tone of his late work—a blend of classical calm and modern stylization. Many portraits of her were painted during the Nice period, when their daughter was born and Modigliani, already gravely ill, worked with urgency. These portraits are treasured not only for their formal beauty but also for their poignant biographical resonance, created just two years before both Jeanne and Modigliani died.
Provenance highlights
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Early ownership by Léopold Zborowski, Modigliani’s dealer and champion.
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Appearances in Paris salerooms in the 1930s.
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Later inclusion in the Lehman collection in New York and long-term loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art until 1990.
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Sold at auction in New York, 15 May 1990, for $8,250,000; subsequently recorded in a private collection in Japan.
How the market values Jeanne portraits
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| Jean Hebuterne with large hat Amedeo Modigliani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Blue-chip status
While Modigliani’s nudes command record-breaking sums, his Jeanne portraits have proven among the most desirable modern works at auction. In 2013, Jeanne Hébuterne (au chapeau) (1919) sold for £26,921,250 (≈ $42.1 million), doubling its presale estimate.
Benchmark comparison
The artist’s all-time record was set in 2015, when Nu couché sold for $170.4 million, one of the highest auction results in history.
Value estimate for “Large Hat”
Given its subject, date, quality, and provenance, “Jeanne Hébuterne with Large Hat” would almost certainly command an eight-figure price if offered today. Based on comparable Jeanne portraits, a broad and defensible market range would be $15–30 million USD, depending on condition, exhibition history, and demand at the time of sale. This is not an appraisal but an informed comparison.
Why collectors chase the Jeanne series
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Central to Modigliani’s art: Jeanne is his most frequent late sitter.
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Perfect format: Mid-size oils with intimate scale but strong presence.
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Romantic narrative: The tragic Modigliani–Jeanne story amplifies their cultural aura.
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Consistent museum exposure: Many Jeanne portraits are exhibited worldwide, reinforcing demand.
Style highlights
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Elegance of line: Calligraphic contours define form more than volume.
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Eyes as symbols: Often left simplified or asymmetrical, pushing the sitter toward archetype.
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Warm harmonies: Reds, browns, and umbers dominate, unified by the halo-like sweep of the hat.
Authentication and caution
Modigliani’s market has long been plagued by forgery scandals, which makes Jeanne portraits with ironclad provenance especially valuable. Technical studies, archival confirmation, and consensus among recognized scholars are critical before any major transaction.
Quick Facts
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Artist: Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920)
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Subject: Jeanne Hébuterne (1898–1920), painter and Modigliani’s partner
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Date: 1918 (sometimes earlier sources note 1917)
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Medium: Oil on canvas, approx. 55 × 38 cm, signed upper right
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Provenance: Zborowski → European collections → Lehman (New York) → auction 1990 ($8.25m) → private collection (Japan)
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Comparable sale: Jeanne Hébuterne (au chapeau), 1919, £26.9m (≈ $42.1m) in 2013
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Artist’s record: Nu couché, 2015, $170.4m
Conclusion
“Jeanne Hébuterne with Large Hat” is not only a late-style masterpiece by Modigliani but also a cultural monument to the artist’s most significant muse. Its serene presence, poised elongations, and elegant architecture of form epitomize his distilled late style. Combined with exceptional provenance and a proven demand for Jeanne portraits in the market, this canvas holds enduring allure for scholars, collectors, and the public alike—ensuring its place as one of the blue-chip highlights of modern portraiture.
