Overview
Amedeo Modigliani led the dissipated, extravagant life of a bohemian in Paris at the beginning of this century. Yet in this apparently glittering and restless life, which came to a sudden end when he was just 35, is not reflected in his work at all. Modigliani's paintings and sculptures are marked by cool detachment, with often archaically austere depictions of the human figure and acutely characterized portraits. The avant-garde movements of the time, such as Cubism, Fauvism, and Futurism, had little effect on his art. It is not theory, but the human being that lies at the center of Modigliani's work. He drew inspiration from artists of the Renaissance and the Rococo periods for his distanced, dignified portraits. His preferred models were friends and his companion Jeanne Hebuterne, but he also depicted simple country people. The author provides a sympathetic interpretation of Modigliani's career. She charts the artist's development from the penetrating psychological studies of his early portraits, through images of a more decorative nature - the graceful figures with the famous almond-shaped eyes and swan-like necks - to his mature depictions of nudes, which remain valid icons of femininity.Synopsis
Numerous high-quality reproductions accompany this in-depth examination of Modigliani s career, from the penetrating psychological studies of his early portraits, through the more stylized images such as the graceful figures with the famous almond-shaped eyes and swan-like necks, to his mature depiction of nudes, which have become symbols of femininity.Although Modigliani led the life of the turn-of-the-century bohemian in Paris, dying at the young age of 35, his restless life is scarcely reflected in his paintings. The author shows how his works are characterized by cool detachment and often archaic austerity. This fascinating study reveals how Modigliani drew his inspiration not so much from the avant-garde movements of the time, such as Cubism, Fauvism, and Futurism, as from the artists of the Renaissance and Rococo periods.