AMEDEO MODIGLIANI

Well-known critic Paul Yusson wrote in 1922 about Modigliani:

After Gauguin, he is undoubtedly the best knew how to express in his work a sense of tragic, but he has this feeling was more intimate and usually devoid of any exclusivity.

. . . This artist is in itself all the unspoken desire for a new expression, characteristic of the era, thirsting for the absolute and not to him who knows how.

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was born July 12, 1884 in a family of Italian Jews. His father, Flaminio Modigliani, after the bankruptcy of his office, firewood, coal, "was an office broker. His mother, Eugenia Garcia, came from a merchant family.

The boy was given to the school, where he received a good education. In the summer of 1895 my mother wrote in her diary: "Dedo suffered a severe pleurisy, he was so frightened me that I still can not come down. The nature of this child are not yet fully formed, and I do not dare to express their opinion. Conducts himself as a spoiled, but not a stupid boy. We soon learn that lurks in this doll. What if an artist? "July 17, 1898 she writes:" Dedo passed the exam does not matter. No wonder it is poorly dealt with all year. Aug. 1, he begins to take lessons in drawing, he has long wanted. He feels positive artist, I very specifically did not encourage it, I′m afraid that he will throw a school for the sake of an illusory dream. I just wanted to until something to please him, to bring a little out of lethargy and depression, which gradually takes possession of us all.

And, finally, 10 April 1899 if summary: "Dedo threw high school and is not engaged in nothing more than painting. But painting, he deals with every day and all day, with unflagging zeal, which is me and surprise and delight. "

In 1898, a boy ill with typhoid fever. In the same year he began attending classes in the school of painting Gabriele Micheli, a pupil of the famous artist Giovanni Fattori. These classes stopped at the end of 1900, when Amedeo again ill - fever gave a complication of the lungs. On the advice of doctors he went to the south and two years spent in Naples. There he first began to paint the sculpture and architecture.

Photo — «Amedeo Modigliani»

In the sketches of sculptures Neapolitan churches already visible ovals his future paintings.

In 1902, Modigliani returned to Livorno, but soon left home again. May 7, 1902 Modigliani enrolled in the Free School of drawing the nude in Florence. Here, on a rickety, poorly heated attic, old Fattori trained in it the belief in the high spiritual purpose of art. Modigliani took over from him the enduring love of line, simplicity of form with a constant outputs.

In March 1903, Amedeo already written to the Free School nudity Institute of Fine Arts in Venice.

Early landscapes ( "Road to Salviano") and portraits ( "Seated Youth") executed in the manner of the masters of the Tuscan school makkyayoli, to which belonged Fattori, and marked interest in the development of problem colors in the open air.

Journalist and artist Gaston Radzaguta wrote about that time: "When Amedeo Modigliani, whom everyone called Dedo has been refined, mannered and studious young man, he drew with great zeal, and no distortion was not . . . He almost always portrays a seated man, his hands lying on her lap. Of course, this is a natural posture of rest, but it moreover, there is something typically Tuscan, it can be found at Fattori. This is typical of the Italians vision of peace, rest Modigliani had brought to France and there is dramatized.

With the help of his uncle, the banker Amedeo Garcia Modigliani several rides in Venice. But gradually begins to understand that he must go to Paris, which was then regarded as the artistic mecca.

In 1906, Modigliani was finally settled in Paris: "Painting obviously stronger than my desires, it requires that I lived in Paris, the atmosphere of Paris inspires me. In Paris, I was unhappy, but that really is true - I only work here. "

He first joined the Academy Kolarossi, but soon left her, because he could not accept the framework of academic tradition. Modigliani removes studio in Montmartre, where he appeared his first Parisian works. A year later, the artist moved to Montmartre. At that time he has an admirer - Dr. Paul Alexander. Together with his brother the doctor contained a kind of refuge for the poor artists.

Photo — «Amedeo Modigliani»

There Modigliani and settled in the autumn of 1907. That Alexander was the buyer of "Jew", for which then paid the two hundred francs.

A little later persuaded Alexander to give the work of Modigliani exhibition at the Salon of Independent. At the end of 1907 there were exhibited five works of Italian masters. Familiar doctor bought up these pictures. Fall Modigliani again exposed in the Salon, but this time his work no one buys. Depression, solitude, in which the artist was because of his "explosive" character, addicted to alcohol have led to the emergence of a kind of internal barrier, which so interfered with the artist all subsequent years.

"In the Cafe Rotonde on Boulevard Montparnasse, where the assembled writers and artists, Modigliani was a circle of friends, who lived, as he did, the problems of art - writes ED Fedotov. - During these years the artist keenly looking for their "line of the soul", as called creative search Modigliani those years, his friend, the poet Jean Cocteau. If the first product of the Paris period, performed in a manner close to the graph of Toulouse-Lautrec, then in 1907 the artist discovered a painting by Cezanne, met with Pablo Picasso, and some time was under the influence of these masters, as evidenced by the work of 1908-1909 years ( " ; Jew ", 1908," Cellist ", 1909).

A particularly important role in shaping the individual style of Modigliani also played his fascination with African sculpture, its rough and simple but expressive forms and clean lines of the silhouette, yet the art of his native Italy and, above all Botticelli drawing, painting Siena trecento and masterly complex graphics man′eristov - Sources Wizard of inspiration.

In 1909, under the influence of Brancusi and African sculpture, in search of the ideal of "the artist began studies sculpture. These searches were reflected in art: in harmony concave and convex plans, a clear distinction between the motive and background.

Evolution of Modigliani those years perfectly illustrate the three "Portraits of Paul Alexander. " The first (1909) was written more with sezannovskoy thoroughness.

Photo — «Amedeo Modigliani»

Two years later, the artist has simplified and stretched out the form, an emphasis on line, declined from the work postures and increased the role of lighting. Finally, the third portrait (1913) von lively color strokes, while the structure of the model submitted with great accuracy in spite of even more stylized face.

Modigliani′s talent is most fully revealed in the portrait genre: "Man - that′s what interests me. The human face - the highest creation of nature. For me it is an inexhaustible source. " Modigliani did not know how to work a long time, just as he did not know how "to write from life. " A. Salmon describes how, by asking of models to undress, Modigliani looked at her and immediately invited her again to put on a shirt and dress, then began to write.

For the portrait of Mrs. Survage it took him only that she sat down at the piano and anything he played. While she played him play Ravel, he watched her intently. Then he said: "That′s enough" - and quickly began to draw. The next day the portrait was finished.

Over the 1914-1916 period the artist created more than ten oil portraits and numerous drawings - portraits of Beatrice Hastings and a series of portraits and songs: "Little Louise", "Beautiful bakaleyschitsa", "Beauty-hostess", "newlyweds" and others . In their exploration of what gave Cubism and Cézanne, the sculptor′s own experience is complemented by constantly seeking the psychology of characters.

From 1914 to 1916 Modigliani lived with the English poet Beatrice Hastings and sells paintings to Paul Guillaume. Hastings was beautiful, elegant, rich and highly educated.

Creativity Modigliani during this regard is very intense, confident and bright work - wrote in his autobiography the artist′s daughter, Jeanne Modigliani. - Suffice it to recall two fine portrait of Beatrice in a fur cap and a checked dress. These echoes of Cubism (even pasted a scrap of newspaper), a sharp picture person, an interesting composition are subject to a marginal musical themes trembling, subtle changes in color, which creates a plastic precisely delineated eyelids, nose, mouth.

Photo — «Amedeo Modigliani»

Portraits of Diego Rivera, Frank Havilland and Beatrice at the piano as if written by the Impressionists. But I do not agree with Venturi, who wrote: "The line hardly released from the seeming chaos impressionistic strokes. Look to the portrait of Diego Rivera. Smear artist does not create vibrations of light, like the Impressionists. He seems to be unwound in a spiral that, like the brush of Van Gogh, generate the bulk. From the swirl of dark colors surrounding the huge head Mexicans, there is a cunning and bold, round like the sun, his face: narrow elongated eyes with drooping eyelids, sculpture fashioned nose, full lips clearly delineated stress in different registers cheerful brightness of the individual good soul Diego. No, the line is never a Modigliani end in itself, but neither do they simply decorative. It performs a dual function: shares, limits the volume and creates a psychological and plastic characteristics of the characters.

Pity Modigliani, some specially commissioned pictures of him to support the artist. But mostly he drew close to people - Diego Rivera (1914), Pablo Picasso (1915), Max Jacob (1916), Jean Cocteau (1916), Chaim Soutine (1917).

In 1916 Modigliani met with a Pole Leopold Zborowski, who engaged in the sale of paintings of the artist, though without much success. In the portrait Zborowski (1918) Modigliani emphasized the poetic principle, inherent in this man romantic warehouse worshiped his talent.

Zborowski provided the artist′s biggest room in his apartment and a model. Basically they were good friends: Anna, subtle, delicate Lyuniya Chekovskaya, small Paulette (the girl with a bow in her hair in the famous painting).

"In the work of the past three years, alternate, sometimes side by side two trends. On the one hand - the smooth development of the composition, decorative, elegance, through the smooth transparent smear emerges canvas, subtly superimposed colors reminiscent of Persian miniatures. This group of paintings include, for example, pink, nude, and portraits of Jeanne Hebuterne, written in Nice. On the other hand - the beauty of the volume fits into the sprawling, precise rhythm, alive sonorous, solemn colors - just like in a Venetian painting (series "nu" 1917-1919).

Photo — «Amedeo Modigliani»

In the portrait of "Nude with Necklace" does pose its sensuality reminiscent of Titian. In a number of portraits ( "Nude with Necklace," "Nude with raised hands to the back," "Seated Nude") are used heavily implicated paint, heavy brushstrokes.

In all of these paintings - their warm colors and sonorities of colors, as in "Naked, lying on his side, found the perfect harmony between the sculptural volume modeling, expressive lines, rhythm and emotional richness of color solutions. Portraits sensual and poetic. Those written amazingly simple, generalized, but each expressed a definite individuality.

In the spring of 1917, during the carnival, Modigliani met with a young student of the Academy Kolarossi, nineteen Jeanne Hebuterne. Jeanne was small in stature, with brown hair red tide and very white skin. Because of this, the bright contrast of hair and complexion friends nicknamed her "Coconut".

She became a beacon of happiness for the Modigliani and light. November 29, 1918 had a daughter, Jeanne. The artist has written several of her portraits. Provided its not unusual for the master of dramatic expression of her portrait in 1918, made in a restrained restless red-brown tones.

January 24, 1920 Modigliani died in hospital from tubercular meningitis. The next day early morning Jeanne, being nine months pregnant, jumped from fifth-floor window. The artist was buried in the cemetery of Pere-Lachaise. At the grave brief inscription - "Death overtook him on the threshold of glory. "

In Modigliani′s life had only one exhibition in December 1917. By the time his work is appreciated only the most progressive artists and the most astute collectors. In 1919 it agreed to host the old and famous Renoir, "because he had heard that Modigliani - a great artist. "

World fame Modigliani was actually already on the threshold. By marked on the reverse side of the canvas the regular price - 30-40 francs over time were added one zero and one. So much so that at the auction in Paris, one of the paintings in 1917, "Naked", was sold for 45,090,700 francs!