Nu couché (The Red Nude)

This is one of the most widely reproduced and exhibited paintings of Amedeo Modigliani, who was born exactly on this day in 1884. He was an Italian-Jewish painter and sculptor who worked mainly in Paris. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by elongation of faces, necks, and figures that were not received well during his lifetime but later found acceptance.

The painting is one of a famous series of nudes that Modigliani painted in 1917 under the patronage of his Polish dealer, Léopold Zborowski. It is believed to have been included in Modigliani's first and only art show in 1917, at the Galerie Berthe Weill, which was shut down by the police because of paintings considered to be inappropriate. Like this one! :) In 2015, the painting was sold to a private collector for $170.4 million.

Check out Modigliani's nudes and portraits at DailyArt Magazine.