The portrait 'Bust of a Young Woman' ('Buste de jeune femme', 1919, oil on canvas) is the first painting in which Amedeo Modigliani retains only what is essential, with the characteristic for his work elongated head, nose and neck, a transition towards the sculpture. 'Head of a Woman in Profile' ('Tete de femme de profile', 1917, oil on canvas), dedicated to his friend and patron Paul Alexandre, is a single expressionistic portrait, the only exception to the rule to paint his portraits frontally, with a direct gaze.