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Glite Dictionary
Amedeo Modigliani

Amedeo Modigliani

1 9.2
An Italian painter and sculptor who made portraits and nudes with long faces and necks
  • proper noun
  • NSFW
: Amedeo Modigliani
  • The works of Amedeo Modigliani are easily recognized by their elongated faces and necks.

Examples

  • Many art critics consider Amedeo Modigliani a pioneer of modern portraiture.

  • Have you ever seen a painting by Amedeo Modigliani?

  • A major exhibition of Amedeo Modigliani's paintings attracted large crowds to the museum.

  • The famous artist Amedeo Modigliani created many iconic pieces.

  • A major exhibition of Amedeo Modigliani's paintings attracted large crowds to the museum.

  • Many art critics consider Amedeo Modigliani a pioneer of modern portraiture.

  • The works of Amedeo Modigliani are easily recognized by their elongated faces and necks.

Surface Forms

Amedeo Modigliani main
Amedeo Modigliani main

Morphology

Amedeo + Modigliani

This is a proper name referring to a specific person; its referential meaning (an Italian painter and sculptor from 1884–1920) is not compositionally built from the constituent tokens. Knowing the words 'Amedeo' and 'Modigliani' (which are names) does not allow a B1 learner to infer the biographical/professional information, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who made portraits with very long faces and necks. Because of that strong image, when you hear his name, think of the 'artist of elongated faces' to help you remember his style.