Amedeo Modigliani: Portraits and Nudes

This interpretation of Modigliani's career charts the artist's development from his early portraits, through more stylised decorative imagesm such as the graceful figures with the almond-shaped eyes and swan-like necks, to his mature depictions of nudes, which have become symbols of femininity. Although Modigliani led the dissipated life of the turn-of-the-century bohemian in Paris, dying at the age of of 35, his restless life is scarcely reflected in his paintings. The author shows how his works are characterised by cool detachment and often archaic austerity. This 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 artists of the Renaissance and Rococo periods.