Portrait of Paul Alexander on green background

Amedeo Modigliani painted several portraits of Dr. Paul Alexandre, his first patron and close friend. This version shows Alexandre against a distinctive green background. The two men met in November 1907 at the Maison du Delta in Montmartre, a house set up by Alexandre and his brother Jean for use by young artists.

Alexandre was training as a dermatologist at Lariboisière hospital when he discovered Modigliani's work. He became the first person to take serious interest in the artist, purchasing paintings for 10 to 20 francs and drawings for about 20 centimes. He encouraged Modigliani and continued buying his work until the outbreak of World War I in 1914 forced the doctor into military service.

The portrait series of Alexandre evokes the Renaissance tradition of patrons having their portraits painted in return for financial support. Modigliani's depictions of his friend range from conventional poses to more distinctively "Modiglianiesque" treatments with elongated faces and blank eyes. Between 1907 and his death in 1920, Modigliani gave Alexandre no fewer than 25 paintings and some 500 drawings.

After Alexandre's death in 1968, his youngest son Noël organized an exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen in 1993, finally revealing this notable collection to the public. The impeccable provenance of these works enabled a new understanding of Modigliani's early Parisian period.