Modigliani

Description

This definitive monograph on Modigliani incorporates new research into one of the most comprehensive surveys ever published on the seminal twentieth-century artist. Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) is one of the most important artists of the early twentieth century. This ambitious volume includes 150 works from throughout Modigliani's tragically brief yet formative career, from the artist's celebrated erotic nudes and iconic, elongated figures to his lesser-known treasures. Accompanying one of the largest exhibitions of Modigliani's paintings, sculptures, and drawings ever shown in Europe, this comprehensive catalogue contextualises the modernist master alongside works by his peers, such as Cezanne, Brancusi, and Picasso. Born in Livorno, Italy, and working in Paris from 1906, Modigliani was underappreciated in his lifetime but has come to be regarded as one of the most influential figures of early modernism. This richly illustrated volume will present the artist in a new light, moving beyond the historical tendency to interpret his work through the lens of his biography to convey the sheer breadth and depth of his formal and stylistic experimentation. Six essays explore various angles from which his work and artistic persona can be understood, connecting Modigliani with contemporary practice in the Bohemian quarter of Montparnasse as well as with the wider visual culture in early-twentieth-century Paris. An important contribution to the field, this unprecedented collection of works will appeal to all those captivated by this modernist master.

Nancy Ireson is curator of international art at Tate Modern, in London. Simonetta Fraquelli is an independent art historian and specialist in twentieth-century European art.