Modigliani paintings grace Osaka museum

A visitor views Modigliani’s “Seated Nude” at Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, on April 9.

OSAKA — Painter Amedeo Modigliani is featured in a special exhibition ongoing at Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka.

The exhibit, which runs through July 18, includes about 40 paintings collected domestically and overseas, and is the first large-scale retrospective in Japan in 14 years.

Born in Italy, Modigliani is associated with the School of Paris, a group of artists who worked in the French capital in the first half of the 20th century.

The subjects of his portraits are characterized by their almond-shaped eyes and long thin necks, and the artist is also known for his sensual nudes.

The museum has the notable collection “Reclining Nude with Loose Hair” on display along with “Seated Nude” from Belgium’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp that is said to have featured the same model.

Paintings on display at the museum also include artists who were friends of Modigliani such as Tsuguharu Foujita and Moise Kisling.

The museum, located in Kita Ward, Osaka, is closed Mondays, except May 2 and July 18.