It was recently made public that a previously unknown portrait composed by iconic artist Amedeo Modigliani was authenticated in a Venetian courthouse in 2018 following a detailed examination of the painting’s composition and early provenance by experts in the fields of art history, preservation, and graphological analysis.
One of the most compelling aspects of the freshly revealed authentication centers on an inscription found on the back of the discovered masterpiece, verified to have been written by art dealer, poet, and writer Léopold Zborowski in assessment by Judicial Graphologist Dr. Milena Bellato of the Italian Court of Venice.
The painting depicts Modigliani’s lover and muse Jeanne Hébuterne, bearing a strong resemblance to a 1919 portrait in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, currently on display at The Met Fifth Avenue. Measuring just 27.5 x 19.2 cm, this smaller and lesser-known work was identified by art critic and historian Professor Saverio Simi de Burgis as a preparatory study for its larger, internationally recognized counterpart.
The Italian sculptor and painter Modigliani was born in northern Italy and moved to Paris in 1906 at the age of 21, becoming part of the vibrant École de Paris art scene in Montmartre and Montparnasse alongside contemporary émigré artists such as Pablo Picasso, Chaïm Soutine, Marc Chagall, and Piet Mondrian.
Léopold Zborowski moved from his native Poland to Paris in 1914 and began trading in creative works including those of Modigliani and Soutine. In the years following their meeting, Zborowski became Modigliani’s friend and primary art dealer and allowed the artist to use his house as an atelier. He was portrayed by Modigliani three times during this period, including a 46 by 29 cm composition that sold for $1,464,000 at Sotheby’s in 2003.
In January 1920, Modigliani died at the age of 35 due to addiction-induced health complications and tubercular meningitis. Zborowski retained a substantial body of the artist’s work and continued to sell and profit from his creations, ultimately drawing the recognition and financial success that had been so elusive to Modigliani during his lifetime.
Providing a tangible touchpoint for these historical events, the newly authenticated portrait bears an inscription in mixed Italian and Polish, signed by Zborowski and dated March 1920, indicating that the painting was made by Amedeo Modigliani in 1919 and gifted by Zborowski to Giuseppe Durini, the Baron of Bolognano. This verified evidence places the portrait’s creation within the artist’s final year, providing invaluable insight into his personal connections during the last chapter of his life.
Further experts contributing to the evidence gathered in the authentication process for this portrait include Thierry Radelet who conducted microscopic, X-ray, ultraviolet, and infrared examination, Professor Paolo Zannini who performed Raman microscopy at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and Professor Paolo Bensi of the Department of Architectural Sciences University of Genoa who provided supporting chronological analysis of the material composition.
The full body of evidence was assessed in proceedings overseen by Judge Dr. Fabio Doro of the Court of Venice CTU. Based on the graphological analysis of the note from Leopold Zborowski on the back of the portrait and examination of the painting’s composition, the court concluded that the work, in its conception and execution, is by the hand of Amedeo Modigliani. This groundbreaking ruling adds a small but intimate chapter to the known history of one of the world’s most revered artists.
