'Nudo Dolente' by Modigliani - 1908

“There was a cult of what has been called ‘negative beauty’ in the early twentieth century.” – Carol Mann about Modigliani, Thames and Hudson publication,1980.

‘Sore Nude’ by Modigliani (81×54 cm) – Richard Nathanson, London

Auguste Rodin "The Burghers of Calais" - 1888

To Émile-Antoine Bourdelle, a friend and sculptor, Rodin writes:

"My liberation from academicism was created by Michelangelo."

Bronze sculpture which portrays a group of six people. It recalls a heroic action of a phase of the ‘Hundred Years War’ in Calais, 1347. Twelve casts were made.

'Family' by Henry Moore - 1935

Henry Moore's work has become in the course of the years increasingly abstract, but that was, as he himself said, "just because I believe that in this way I can represent the human psychological content of my work as directly and as intensely as possible." - source Taschen publication 2007 with Jeremy Lewison

This semi-abstract sculpture in Elmwood made by Henry Moore, depicts a mother with child on her back (H 101,6 cm). Location: The Hennry Moore Foundation, Perry Green.

Moore wrote: 'There are universal shapes to which everybody is subconsciously conditioned and to which they can respond if their conscious control does not shut them off." 

Robert Motherwell - 'Two Figures with Stripe' 1962

“In history of all art, there was never a movement hated as much as Abstract Expressionism.” - Robert Motherwell 

Robert Motherwell (American, 1915–1991) - Two Figures with Stripe, 1962
Acrylic on canvas - 54 × 72 in. (137.16 × 182.88 cm)
Gift of Friends of Art and the Dedalus Foundation, Inc. M1994.375
Photo credit: Zindman/Fremont - © Dedalus Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

"Banal realism = vulgar imitation of reality" - JM. Atlan 'Abstraction and Adventure in Contemporary Art', Paris 1950.

"Realism reflects reflects the productive intercourse between man and nature which is the basis of life (palaeolithic cave paintings)." - F. Klingender from 'Marxism and Modern Art, London 1943

Jan van Eyck 'Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele' - 1434/36

“By increasing reality, Jan van Eyck has detached himself from the memetic image and opened the image in a unrelenting realism.”- quote Luc Tuymans (Klara > Pompidou > Americana  by Joost Zwagerman)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_and_Child_with_Canon_van_der_Paele

http://vlaamseprimitieven.vlaamsekunstcollectie.be/nl/onderzoek/webpublicaties/madonna-met-kanunnik-joris-van-der-paele