Book Description

"Famous for his elongated forms, graceful portraits, and lush nudes, Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) is among the most loved of the extraordinary group of artists who lived in Montparnasse in the early twentieth century. Accompanying the first major Modigliani exhibition - culled from important collections in North America and abroad - in the United States in more than forty years, this book places Modigliani and his work in the context of his friends and contemporaries, all living and working in what Marcel Duchamp described as "the first truly international group of artists we ever had." The art is striking for its diversity: Cubist, Expressionist, and Primitivist, with Modigliani's art embodying all of these elements, in all mediums: painting, sculpture, and works on paper. The other Montparnasse artists featured include Alexander Archipenko, Constantin Brancusi, Giorgio de Chirico, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Fernand Leger, Pablo Picasso, and Diego Rivera." "Moving beyond the artist's tragically brief life to provide a fuller and richer understanding of his art, this book is arranged thematically: the first essay explores Modigliani's relation with Montparnasse; the second addresses his relationship with the avant-garde movements and figures; and the third examines his lifetime exhibitions and their critical reception. These essays are illustrated not only with the works of Modigliani and his peers, but also with black-and-white photographs of Montparnasse and of the artists." "Also, presented here for the first time are excerpts from "Minnie Pinnikin," the Surrealist novella written by Modigliani's lover and model Beatrice Hastings about their experiences together. Hastings read excerpts from the novella at a literary event in Paris in 1916 and since then it has been considered lost. This striking volume, which includes extensive new documentation, provides a serious examination of Modigliani's work." --Book Jacket.