News from The Modigliani Initiative

September 23, 2025

Fall News

Portrait of a Woman, c. 1917–18. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Hanna Fund

Now well into its fourth year, the Modigliani Initiative remains focused on advancing one of its primary objectives: supporting museums in their efforts to present the most complete and accurate record of the Modigliani paintings in their collections. As we continue to expand our database and make new research discoveries, we are happy to share our findings with the institutions. In the near future, we will provide details about our plans to make this valuable resource accessible to the public—stay tuned!

In our latest essay “What’s in a Name?,” which is published in the Modigliani Reconsidered section of our website, we present our research into Portrait of a Woman (above), a painting in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Though the work is not included in Ambrogio Ceroni’s authoritative catalogue, there are compelling clues and factual details that place it close to the artist’s lifetime and link it stylistically to paintings that are accepted as part of the artist’s oeuvre. Please find the essay here.

In another exciting development, two major Modigliani paintings have been gifted to U.S. museums by the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation. Prior to joining these permanent collections, the Pearlman Collection will go on display, beginning in Los Angeles in January 2026, and then in Brooklyn next fall. In the meantime, Modigliani’s paintings can be seen this fall in shows in France, Italy, and Korea.

News

Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation Gift

Jean Cocteau, 1917. Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation, gift to the Brooklyn Museum

Since 1976, the collection of the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation has been at the Princeton University Art Museum. The Foundation recently announced its generous gift of over 50 masterpieces, by artists such as Cézanne, van Gogh, Soutine, and Manet, to the Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Museum of Modern Art. The collection includes two major paintings by Modigliani, including Jean Cocteau (above), which will be going to the Brooklyn Museum. More on this exceptional gift and the upcoming exhibition of the collection can be found here.

A passionate art collector for almost three decades, Henry Pearlman (1895–1974) carefully documented not only his artwork but also the details about his acquisitions. In the case of the Cocteau portrait, Pearlman noted what the French poet wrote about how the painting came to be. Pearlman added his own reminiscences, including conversations with Alfred H. Barr Jr., director of MoMA, and Billy Rose, a former owner of the work. This precious documentation is made publicly available on the Pearlman Foundation website, making this a unique and invaluable resource. Here is a link.

Exhibition News

Berthe Weill. Art Dealer to the Parisian Avant-garde

Nude with Coral Necklace, 1917. Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, Ohio.

Co-organized with NYU’s Grey Art Museum and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris will host Berthe Weill. Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde from October 8 through January 26, 2026. Curated by Lynn Gumpert, Marianne Le Morvan, Anne Grace, and Sophie Eloy, the exhibition surveys the groundbreaking career of this pioneering woman dealer of modern art. More information about the show’s third and final venue can be found here.

Modigliani, Picasso and the Voices of Modernity

Maternity, 1919. Lille Métropole Musée d'art moderne, d'art contemporain et d'art brut, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France

From October 16 to January 25, 2026, Palazzo Zabarella in Padua, Italy, will host the exhibition Modigliani, Picasso and the Voices of Modernity from the LaM Museum. Presenting 65 masterpieces of European avant-garde art from the Lille Métropole Musée d'art moderne (LaM), the show is curated by Jeanne-Bathilde Lacourt and features six iconic paintings by Modigliani, including Moïse Kisling, Red-Haired Boy, Seated Nude with Shirt, and Maternity (above). More information can be found here.

From Renaissance to Impressionism

The Blue-Eyed Boy, 1916. San Diego Museum of Art

The Sejong Museum of Art in Seoul, Korea, will host From Renaissance to Impressionism, a special exhibition of works from the San Diego Museum of Art. Opening on November 5, the show coincides with the San Diego Museum's centennial and will display 25 pieces from their permanent collection, including Modigliani’s The Blue-Eyed Boy, 1916. More information can be found here.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with friends and colleagues. We are grateful for your support.

Leslie Koot | Julie Martin | Julia May Boddewyn

Follow us on social media

You can follow the Modigliani Initiative on:
Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook.