Amedeo Modigliani: Beatrice (Portrait de B閍trice Hastings); Amedeo Modigliani; 1916; Oil on canvas with newsprint; A British poet and journalist; Beatrice Hastings moved to Paris in 1914; where she quickly became absorbed into the thriving avant-garde scene in Montparnasse. Hastings met Modigliani at the caf?de la Rotunde; a popular gathering place for the bohemian crowd; and the pair began a stormy two-year relationship; both were creative; defiant; and prone to theatricality. Hastings posed for Modigliani at least fourteen times. In this portrait; Modigliani experiments with the language of cubism; translating his sitter into sharp; blocky forms. At one time there was a strip of newspaper pasted to the surface; perhaps a reference to Hastings' profession; you can see traces of newsprint ink in the background; just below her name.; Overall: 21 3/4 x 15 1/16 in. (55.2 x 38.2 cm)