Special Sub-Topic: The Life and Art of Amedeo Modigliani Authored by: vale70 Sub-topic of: Art World Figures

Let’s start from the basics: when did Amedeo Modigliani live?

1884-1920. Modigliani was born in Livorno (Leghorn) on 12 July 1884 and died in Paris on 24 January 1920, at the age of 35.

What kind of family was he born into?

Bourgeoisie. Modigliani’s family belonged to Livorno’s enlightened Jewish bourgeoisie. Although formerly wealthy, they were in quite precarious conditions at the time of his birth. They, and especially his mother, used however to cultivate cultural interests, such as philosophy, poetry and literature.

How, according to a 'legend', did Modigliani decide to become an artist?

He had a vision in a dream. In 1898 Modigliani caught typhoid fever and, according to his mother, in his delirium he saw his destiny as an artist. Such event has later been questioned by the painter’s daughter, but it is nevertheless part of the Modigliani's romantic and bohemian legend.

When did he move to Paris?

1906. He moved to Paris in 1906, after training in Livorno (Accademia d’Arte), Florence (Scuola Libera di Nudo), and Venice (Istituto di Belle Arti), and becoming conversant with the art and architecture of the Italian masters.

Which contemporary movement was Modigliani particularly interested in even before he went to Paris?

Symbolism. Modigliani visited the 1903 Venice Biennale, where he saw some Symbolist works. Since then, he developed a strong interest in Symbolism as a movement, and particularly in its attempt to show the unconscious, to investigate the mystery beyond appearances. His paintings, especially the portraits, show clear signs of this.

Modigliani was a strong admirer of Paul Cézanne.

t. Modigliani saw Cézanne’s work in 1907, in Paris, and was since then an admirer of the French painter.

Living in Montmartre and actively engaging in the Parisian art scene, Modigliani met and befriended several other artists. Among the following, who was not in his circle of friends?

Edouard Manet. Modigliani never met Manet, since the latter had died in 1883. He was acquainted with all the others. He became friends with Utrillo just upon his arrival in Paris in 1906; in 1909 he met Brancusi, of whom he also made an unfinished portrait, and whose influence possibly was among the reasons that pushed Modigliani towards sculpture. Roughly in the same period he met Picasso, whom he portrayed in 1915. Modigliani’s circle also included Diego Rivera, Chaim Soutine, Jean Cocteau, Max Jacob, Anna Achmatova and many others.

Modigliani stands out as a very versatile artist, but which of the following did he not engage in?

Photography. Besides paintings and drawings, Modigliani produced many sculptures, particularly in stone, during the period 1909-1914. His sculptures show his interest in African art (as we also see in Picasso), as well as in ancient classical art, as shown in his work on the motif of the caryatids. He never devoted to photography, though he portrayed several of his contemporaries and fellow artists.

In 1917, Modigliani had his first solo exhibition in Paris. Unfortunately, the exhibition had to close very soon. Why?

The exhibition was considered to be scandalous. The exhibition, opening on 3 December 1917, was forced to close on the same day because the nude paintings exposed were showing pubic hair, which attracted the attention of police officers, who found it scandalous and closed the exhibition. Apart from easy scandals, Modigliani’s treatment of the female body shows on the one hand the influence of classical art, and on the other his modernising impetus, leading him to break some long-established rules in order to portray naked bodies exactly as they are.

What was the name of Modigliani’s last partner, and mother of his daughter, who committed suicide the day after his death?

Jeanne Hébuterne. Jeanne Hébuterne (also portrayed by the artist), whom Modigliani met in 1917, was with him till his death in 1920, and killed herself in despair after he died, leaving a baby daughter (also named Jeanne) who was eventually adopted by the painter’s relatives in Italy. Modigliani had affairs with Beatrice Hastings and Anna Akhmatova prior to meeting Hébuterne.