What do you think?
Rate this book
Modigliani
Modigliani’s human subjects invariably have almond-shaped eyes with long, slightly twisted noses, small pursed mouths, and elongated necks. The majority of his works are semi-formal portraits that radiate a somewhat sculptural quality, suggesting his early roots as a sculptor. Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian Sephardic Jew, born in the port town of Livorno on the northwestern coast of Tuscany on July 12, 1884. He died young, just on the verge of discovery as an artistic genius, on January 24, 1920, in a Parisian garret. Modigliani sold few paintings and drawings in his lifetime, more often giving them away in exchange for a meal or as a token of friendship. Modigliani’s reputation for drinking and drug excesses earned him the nickname Modi, which was not just a shortening of his name, but also a pun on the French word maudit meaning “cursed.” Honored at his death by the presence of his artist peers - including Léger, Derain, Brancusi, and even Picasso - his tombstone reads, “Struck down by Death at the moment of glory.” The romance, passion, and tragedy of his life was echoed after his death by the suicide of his pregnant 22-year-old paramour Jeanne Hébuterne. She orphaned their 14-month-old daughter.
- GenresArt
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2012
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Forty
91 books6 followersSandra Forty is a graduate of London University where she studied medieval and early modern history, including a spell at the Courtald Institute learning about Renaissance art from Professor Gombrich.
Since then she has worked as a journalist in London, then as a book editor and writer.
She is the author of a number of books, most on art and architecture.
Since then she has worked as a journalist in London, then as a book editor and writer.
She is the author of a number of books, most on art and architecture.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 3, 2015
Born in the Italian port town of Livorno, Tuscany, on 12 July 1884, Amadeo Modigliani, nicknamed as a youngster Dedo, was schooled by his mother until he was 10. During his childhood he drew and painted and showed some talent as an artist and, at age 14 he studied under Guglielmo Micheli, one of the leading lights of the Italian modernist school.
His art lessons unfortunately came to an abrupt end when he contacted tuberculosis at age 16 and in an effort to get him better his mother took him on an extensive tour around northern Italy, Capri and Naples and then on to Rome and the Amalfi coast.
Much improved, he moved to Florence in May 1902 and enrolled at the Scuola Libera di Nudo (Free School of the Nude) and stayed a year before moving to Venice. When he was 23 he moved to Paris where he was always accompanied by one of his many lady friends.
He moved into an artists' commune, one of his fellow artists being Pablo Picasso, and he was supported financially by these friends and his many lovers. Even though he was poor, he dressed well and Picasso once commented, 'There's only one man in Paris who knows how to dress and that is Modigliani.'
He continued to paint, mostly portraits for, more often than not, he declined to paint outside therefore any landscapes of his are few and far between. And he destroyed many of his earlier paintings saying they were 'childish baubles, done when I was a dirty bourgeois'. In addition he had taken to drink and drugs, particularly when his tuberculosis returned in 1914.
To augment his painting he was an accomplished sculptor, when he could acquire pieces of stone from which to work. And with that aim in mind he would wander around Paris looking for suitable pieces of stone, for his lack of funds prevented him making many purchases.
His love affairs continued, 21-year-old Ukranian poet Anna Akhmatova conducted a year-long affair with him before returning to her husband, who she had left while on honeymoon!
His work did attract attention, he once sold a canvas for as much as $100, and when the ambitious young art dealer Paul Guillaume spotted him, things began to look up. It was only for a while, though, for the pair fell out, even though Modigliani had painted his portrait in 1916, and the artist went to a rival dealer, Polish-born Leopold Zborowski. Eventually Zborowski, who also represented Marc Chagall, Maurice Utrillo and Andre Derain, became a wealthy man, particularly through his work with Modigliani.
Modigliani had his first and only one-man show in Paris at the Berthe Weill Gallery; it opened on 3 December 1917 but when a nude displayed in the window was spotted by a policeman there were problems. The local police chief investigated and ordered the removal of all the nude paintings and when asked on what grounds he was doing so he replied, 'These nudes ... they have b-b-body hair'! The exhibition was shut within hours, before it had officially opened, and Modigliani sold just two drawings.
By this time Modigliani had formed a long-term relationship with Jeanne Hebuterne and, when Zborowski decided to move his business to the south of France due to the advent of World War I, the couple moved down to Nice. They had a daughter, also called Jeanne, on 19 November 1918 by which time Modigliani's paintings were beginning to become recognised and were starting to sell for respectable amounts of money.
After the war the couple moved back to Paris, where the money he had earned allowed him to buy an apartment for themselves, but he was not to survive for long. He became ill, caught pneumonia and was eventually taken to hospital and he died there on 24 January 1920. Many of his fellow artists attended his funeral and simultaneously all the galleries selling his works raised their asking prices, some as much as tenfold!
This beautiful book has 82 of his works on display, all but three of them portraits of the various people he encountered during his short life. And they all bear the Modigliani hallmark, the distinctive almond-shaped eyes, long, slightly twisted noses, small pursed mouths and elongated necks for which he was well known. He was undoubtedly on the verge of discovery as an artistic genius at his demise and his tombstone appropriately states, 'Struck down by Death at the moment of glory.'
Through a selection of his work, this book undoubtedly brings him back to life.
His art lessons unfortunately came to an abrupt end when he contacted tuberculosis at age 16 and in an effort to get him better his mother took him on an extensive tour around northern Italy, Capri and Naples and then on to Rome and the Amalfi coast.
Much improved, he moved to Florence in May 1902 and enrolled at the Scuola Libera di Nudo (Free School of the Nude) and stayed a year before moving to Venice. When he was 23 he moved to Paris where he was always accompanied by one of his many lady friends.
He moved into an artists' commune, one of his fellow artists being Pablo Picasso, and he was supported financially by these friends and his many lovers. Even though he was poor, he dressed well and Picasso once commented, 'There's only one man in Paris who knows how to dress and that is Modigliani.'
He continued to paint, mostly portraits for, more often than not, he declined to paint outside therefore any landscapes of his are few and far between. And he destroyed many of his earlier paintings saying they were 'childish baubles, done when I was a dirty bourgeois'. In addition he had taken to drink and drugs, particularly when his tuberculosis returned in 1914.
To augment his painting he was an accomplished sculptor, when he could acquire pieces of stone from which to work. And with that aim in mind he would wander around Paris looking for suitable pieces of stone, for his lack of funds prevented him making many purchases.
His love affairs continued, 21-year-old Ukranian poet Anna Akhmatova conducted a year-long affair with him before returning to her husband, who she had left while on honeymoon!
His work did attract attention, he once sold a canvas for as much as $100, and when the ambitious young art dealer Paul Guillaume spotted him, things began to look up. It was only for a while, though, for the pair fell out, even though Modigliani had painted his portrait in 1916, and the artist went to a rival dealer, Polish-born Leopold Zborowski. Eventually Zborowski, who also represented Marc Chagall, Maurice Utrillo and Andre Derain, became a wealthy man, particularly through his work with Modigliani.
Modigliani had his first and only one-man show in Paris at the Berthe Weill Gallery; it opened on 3 December 1917 but when a nude displayed in the window was spotted by a policeman there were problems. The local police chief investigated and ordered the removal of all the nude paintings and when asked on what grounds he was doing so he replied, 'These nudes ... they have b-b-body hair'! The exhibition was shut within hours, before it had officially opened, and Modigliani sold just two drawings.
By this time Modigliani had formed a long-term relationship with Jeanne Hebuterne and, when Zborowski decided to move his business to the south of France due to the advent of World War I, the couple moved down to Nice. They had a daughter, also called Jeanne, on 19 November 1918 by which time Modigliani's paintings were beginning to become recognised and were starting to sell for respectable amounts of money.
After the war the couple moved back to Paris, where the money he had earned allowed him to buy an apartment for themselves, but he was not to survive for long. He became ill, caught pneumonia and was eventually taken to hospital and he died there on 24 January 1920. Many of his fellow artists attended his funeral and simultaneously all the galleries selling his works raised their asking prices, some as much as tenfold!
This beautiful book has 82 of his works on display, all but three of them portraits of the various people he encountered during his short life. And they all bear the Modigliani hallmark, the distinctive almond-shaped eyes, long, slightly twisted noses, small pursed mouths and elongated necks for which he was well known. He was undoubtedly on the verge of discovery as an artistic genius at his demise and his tombstone appropriately states, 'Struck down by Death at the moment of glory.'
Through a selection of his work, this book undoubtedly brings him back to life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review